NBA reveals when Maine native Cooper Flagg will make his debut with Mavericks
COOPER FLAG BACK IN MAINE THIS WEEKEND TO HELP HUNDREDS OF KIDS WHO WANT TO BE JUST LIKE HIM, COOPER AND HIS TWIN BROTHER ACE, HOSTING THEIR SECOND ANNUAL BASKETBALL CAMP AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MAINE IN ORONO. OUR RONNIE PERILLO TAKES US TO THE COURT FOR MORE ON THE EVENT. WHAT IT MEANS TO BE FROM MAINE. NO, WE’RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT. POLAND SPRING AD FROM THE 90S. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT THE FIRST EVER NUMBER ONE DRAFT PICK FROM THE STATE HAS TO SAY ABOUT HIS HOME. IT WAS REALLY COOL SEEING, YOU KNOW, A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT PLACES DOING LITTLE PARTIES AND WHATNOT. SO, I MEAN, IT WAS CRAZY. JUST I MEAN, AGAIN, IT JUST SHOWS THE AMOUNT OF SUPPORT AND LOVE THAT THAT THE COOPER FLAG RELIVING AN UNFORGETTABLE NIGHT AFTER BEING NAMED THE FIRST OVERALL IN THE NBA DRAFT BY THE DALLAS MAVERICKS, COOPER TEAMED UP WITH HIS BROTHER ACE, WHO WILL PLAY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MAINE THIS SEASON AND TOOK THEIR PASSION FOR BASKETBALL BACK TO THE COURTS TODAY, HELPING COACH HUNDREDS OF KIDS. SOME CAME FROM PLACES AS FAR AS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, BUT OTHERS JUST WANTED A GLIMPSE OF THEIR HOMETOWN HEROES. WHEN I SAW THEM, I THOUGHT, LIKE BEFORE I EVEN KNEW THAT I WAS GOING HERE, I FELT LIKE I’LL NEVER GET TO SEE COOPER FLAG IN H. COOPER AND ACE WELCOMING THE CHANCE TO GIVE BACK AND HELP KIDS LIKE GAB SHOOT FOR THEIR DREAMS, BECAUSE A GOOD COACH CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD. I MEAN, I THINK THE BIGGEST THING IS JUST HAVING A GOOD ATTITUDE. I DON’T REMEMBER BEING THERE, TO BE HONEST. I DON’T REMEMBER ANY OF THE CORNY ADVICE OR ANYTHING THAT ANY PLAYER SAID TO ME WHEN I WAS AT CAMP, JUST FOR ME, IT’S MORE ABOUT JUST BEING THERE, BEING PRESENT, HAVING LITTLE INTERACTIONS, BECAUSE THOSE ARE ALL THE THINGS THAT I REMEMBER MORE ABOUT MY TIME AT CAMP. AND AS ALWAYS, THE BOYS PARENTS WERE THERE TO CHEER THEM ON ONCE AGAIN. YOU KNOW, THEY’RE HERE GIVING BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR HOME STATE OF MAINE. IT’S EXCITING, AND WE’RE GLAD THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN HELP PROVIDE THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR SO MANY MAINE KIDS. AND BOTH COOPER AND ACE SAY THEY’RE ENJOYING SOME TIME HERE AT HOME IN MAINE WITH THE FAMILY BEFORE THEY HEAD BACK TO THE HARDWOOD THIS SEASON AT T
NBA reveals when Maine native Cooper Flagg will make his debut with Mavericks
Updated: 2:25 PM EDT Aug 12, 2025
Maine native Cooper Flagg will make his NBA debut on the second day of the season and will be featured in two holiday games.The NBA announced Tuesday that the Dallas Mavericks, who drafted Flagg No. 1 overall in June, will host the San Antonio Spurs on Oct. 22 in a nationally-televised game on ESPN.The 18-year-old from Newport will be facing a Spurs team that features 2023 No. 1 overall pick and 2025 All-Star Victor Wembanyama; Stephon Castle, the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year; and Dylan Harper, who was drafted one spot after Flagg.The NBA said the matchup between Flagg and Harper is set to mark the second time since 1966 that the top two picks in the same draft face each other in their first career regular-season game. The only time it happened before was in 2015, when No. 1 pick Karl-Anthony Towns faced No. 2 pick D’Angelo Russell, the latter of whom is now Flagg’s teammate with Dallas.The league also announced that Flagg and the Mavericks will be playing at the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day. Flagg is set to turn 19 just four days before the Christmas Day game.On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Flagg is set to play his first NBA game at Madison Square Garden as the Mavs face the New York Knicks on the road. Flagg most recently played at MSG in February, when he helped Duke demolish Illinois during his lone collegiate season.The NBA said it will reveal the complete group-play schedule for the Emirates NBA Cup on Wednesday, as well as a sneak peek at Amazon’s Prime Video game schedule.It has not yet been announced when Flagg will return to New England to face the Boston Celtics.
PORTLAND, Maine —
Maine native Cooper Flagg will make his NBA debut on the second day of the season and will be featured in two holiday games.
The NBA announced Tuesday that the Dallas Mavericks, who drafted Flagg No. 1 overall in June, will host the San Antonio Spurs on Oct. 22 in a nationally-televised game on ESPN.
The 18-year-old from Newport will be facing a Spurs team that features 2023 No. 1 overall pick and 2025 All-Star Victor Wembanyama; Stephon Castle, the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year; and Dylan Harper, who was drafted one spot after Flagg.
The NBA said the matchup between Flagg and Harper is set to mark the second time since 1966 that the top two picks in the same draft face each other in their first career regular-season game. The only time it happened before was in 2015, when No. 1 pick Karl-Anthony Towns faced No. 2 pick D’Angelo Russell, the latter of whom is now Flagg’s teammate with Dallas.
The league also announced that Flagg and the Mavericks will be playing at the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day. Flagg is set to turn 19 just four days before the Christmas Day game.
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Flagg is set to play his first NBA game at Madison Square Garden as the Mavs face the New York Knicks on the road. Flagg most recently played at MSG in February, when he helped Duke demolish Illinois during his lone collegiate season.
The NBA said it will reveal the complete group-play schedule for the Emirates NBA Cup on Wednesday, as well as a sneak peek at Amazon’s Prime Video game schedule.
It has not yet been announced when Flagg will return to New England to face the Boston Celtics.