It has finally happened: the greatest Dallas Maverick, Dirk Nowitzki, met the future of the franchise, Cooper Flagg.
The two did not meet face-to-face until Saturday, when Nowitzki and Flagg linked up at the 7th Annual Dirk Nowitzki Foundation Tennis Classic. Before the event, the two dapped up and greeted each other, with the Mavs legend flashing a wide smile upon meeting the 2025 No.1 pick.
Advertisement
However, other than getting to meet the German legend himself, the Duke product got a whole lot more as Nowitzki praised him, expressing his excitement about what Flagg has to offer for Dallas in the upcoming NBA season.
With Luka Doncic’s trade to the Los Angeles Lakers leaving a massive void in the team, the spot for the next franchise player is up for grabs. And Dirk highly believes Cooper has what it takes to fill that role with his height and versatile skillset.
Advertisement
“The hype was real for sure,” Nowitzki said before his charity event. “I’m not the biggest college sports watcher in general, whether that’s basketball or any sport, but of course I had to check out Cooper, and yeah, the sky’s the limit.”
Flagg is the real deal
Flagg is a 6-foot-9 forward drafted out of Duke University. Across 37 games, Coop posted all-around averages of 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks in over 30 minutes of playing time, leading Duke to the Final Four, where it faltered against the Houston Cougars in heartbreaking fashion.
Advertisement
Now, all eyes are on Cooper as he enters the NBA. On his draft profile, scouts said that “there is nothing Flagg can’t do on a basketball court.”
His offensive arsenal is something to watch out for, but Flagg still has yet to unlock his full potential. However, with his height, strength, quickness, athleticism, and unmatched instincts, scouts commended his elite defensive versatility, describing it as the main factor that set him apart from his draft class.
Nowitzki knows greatness when he sees it, and he saw it in Flagg as he echoed this same sentiment.
Advertisement
“Honestly, what I saw, just the way he reads the game already at that age of being barely 18…I heard his work ethic is through the roof,” he said. “So everything that I’ve saw and heard is that, you know, he’s the real deal. The real deal.”
Dirk looks forward to Flagg’s NBA career
The Mavericks and their fans have gone through a lot in the past NBA season. From reaching the Finals in 2024 to getting eliminated — punctuated by the trade of what was supposed to be the franchise player and future — Dallas’s fall from grace has been tough to watch.
Advertisement
With Flagg, Nowitzki believes that the fans have finally something to look forward to after a challenging year. Personally, the 2011 NBA champion is excited for Coop’s growth as a player.
“Mavs fans can obviously be very excited for his growth over the next few years,” he expressed. Like I said, the sky’s the limit. Just the way he can score the ball in multiple ways. He can defend multiple players. I think he’s super versatile already at a super young age, which is rare. Looking forward to his rookie year and see how he can adjust to the NBA.”
Dirk said in early September that Cooper could mature in no time, as he is going to be surrounded by veterans. Sharing a significant piece of advice, Nowitzki hopes Flagg learns as much as possible from his seniors.
Advertisement
“The only thing is keep your eyes and ears open. Keep learning from your veterans. He’s got some incredible players on the team now with Kyrie [Irving], obviously Klay [Thompson]. AD’s [Anthony Davis] been around forever,” he said. “I think that’ll be my advice…Find your own way of leading.”
Now, people are waiting to see if Flagg can replicate everything he did in college on an NBA court, something Nowitzki firmly believes the projected star is more than capable of doing.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 16, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.