Dirk Nowitzki most definitely knows basketball, so when he speaks about the future of the NBA, especially about former Duke star and top overall pick in the 2025 draft, Cooper Flagg, people listen.
The fact that Flagg got drafted by Nowitzki’s former team, the Dallas Mavericks, makes the NBA Hall of Famer’s words that much more meaningful. The 21-year NBA veteran and incoming rookie met up at Nowitzki’s charity tennis tournament this weekend, and the host had plenty of good things to say about Flagg.
“The hype is real, for sure,” Nowitzki said of Flagg per The Athletic. “I’m not the biggest college sports watcher in general, whether that’s basketball or any sport, but of course I checked out Cooper. Sky is the limit, honestly. “What I saw, just the way he reads the game already at that age. (He’s) barely 18, athletic, (has) skills. I heard his work ethic is through the roof. Everything I saw and heard is he’s the real deal.”
There will be millions of eyes on Flagg and the Mavericks when he makes his debut next month against the San Antonio Spurs after a summer full of hype surrounding him.