Cooper Flagg On Being Selected By Dallas Mavericks: ‘Just Completely Blessed'
Cooper Flagg says he's "completely blessed and honored" as the Dallas Mavericks made him the No. 1 ... More overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft. (Photo by)
Cooper Flagg is officially a member of the Dallas Mavericks.
The Duke Blue Devils phenom was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft – as expected – and will join a playoff-ready roster as a top rookie pick. Flagg will join the likes of NBA champions such as Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson on a team that is only a year removed from an NBA Finals appearance.
'Making it can mean a lot of different things, but I think for me, obviously making it, becoming a professional basketball player is something I would say is making it,' says Flagg."
The pressure of being the top overall pick and the national player of the year during his lone season at Duke will obviously still be there, but it definitely be alleviated by the fact that Flagg is playing with a ton of proven veterans. The 18-year-old Flagg probably will be fourth in the pecking order from an offensive standpoint during his rookie season. He'll also be flanked by solid role players such as P.J. Washington, Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford.
'Enjoying the moment,' says Flagg of being the top pick. 'Just completely blessed and honored. It's been a dream of mine for a long time.'
Although the 2025 NBA Draft was this week, Flagg has been training as he normally does as he tries to replicate the success he had in college. The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per game during his freshman season at Duke.
'I'm training just like almost everybody, putting in my work, trying to get ready as best I can,' says Flagg. "It's going to be a crazy week. Obviously, you have the draft and getting ready for that, and it's kind of just been a whirlwind.
'Just trying to be in the gym and enjoy the moments – you only get to go through this stuff one time, the lottery, the draft and this sort of thing,' Flagg continues to say. 'I've been trying to just enjoy it and still get in the gym and work on things.'
Flagg is the obvious NBA Rookie of the Year favorite at -190 odds, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The Washington Wizards' Tre Johnson and the Utah Jazz's Ace Bailey are tied for the second-best odds at +850.
Observers have had a difficult time pin-pointing a player comparison for Flagg, with some comparing him to Kevin Garnett – Flagg grew up as a Boston Celtics fan in Maine and considers Garnett a favorite player of his – with former players such as Baron Davis comparing him to ex-Jazz swiss army knife Andrei Kirilenko and Gordon Hayward comparing him to Celtics great Larry Bird.
While Flagg acknowledges Bird as a player on his Mount Rushmore of greats and somebody that he watched a lot of film on, he hasn't molded his game from any specific player past or present.
'I wouldn't really say molded my game after,' says Flagg when asked about players he molded his game after. 'I try to just be myself on the court. There's definitely guys that I've watched film about and certain footworks and different moves and stuff that I've tried to take in and put into my game for sure.'
Flagg has developed relationships with several players with Duke ties, including Blue Devils legend Grant Hill. However, he says he hasn't had too many in-depth conversations with NBA players as he prepares for his rookie season.
'Not really,' says Flagg. "I haven't had to chance to speak with a ton of NBA players yet. I think most, most people I've talked to have very similar messages to Coach (Jon) Scheyer, and what they talk about is just enjoying everything. They've all kind of been through what I'm going through right now.
'Just talking to them about enjoying the moment and just trying to take it all in,' Flagg continues to say of the draft experience. "Like I said, you only get to go through this sort of thing one time, so just trying to enjoy it the best I can."
Flagg is obviously notable for being a generational talent on the court, but he already made an impact financially off of the court during his collegiate career.
The 18-year-old reportedly earned $28 million through deals with Fanatics ($15 million) and New Balance ($13 million), which far surpasses the $4.8 million NIL valuation given to him by On3 as the highest-earning college basketball player.
Flagg is partnering with Chime as their newest brand partner as he begins his NBA career as the top overall pick. He explains why he's partnering with the banking service company to help with his finances.
'It was obviously a brand that kind of aligns with my values and what I hold important,' says Flagg. 'It's just kind of situational, the situation that I went through, started getting some money last year obviously with Duke, and going to start getting more and more money. Just aligning with a brand that can help educate me and put me in the right positions financially.'
Flagg's involvement with Chime includes an appearance with his mom, Kelly Flagg, on the company's YouTube series, 'Mama, I Made It.' The series documents stories behind popular figures and how their mothers helped shape it.
'My mom and dad are both highly involved and have been the whole time in helping me and helping me deal with everything and all the opportunities that I've been given,' says Flagg of his parents. 'They've been with me every step of the way, and just trying to make everything as easy as possible for me so I can focus on playing basketball.'
Cooper Flagg and his mother, Kelly Flagg, will star in an episode of Chime's "Mama, I Made It" ... More series.
The collaboration with Chime also includes Flagg being involved with commercials and social activations for the brand. Flagg will obviously earn a lot more money as the No. 1 pick, with his expected deal being for four years and $62.7 million (just under $16 million per year) from the Mavericks.
Flagg says he hasn't really sought advice from NBA players yet on how to manage his finances, but his thinking is to simply be 'smart' with his money.
'To be honest, I haven't really talked finances with any NBA players or anything.,' says Flagg. 'Obviously, you just have to be smart with your money, but nothing crazy.'
He says his best advice to college athletes in the NIL era is to stay focused on their sport and with all of the money coming in it can be 'overwhelming.' The main thing that has kept him structured is the support of his family. His mother, his father (Ralph Flagg) and his brother (Ace Flagg) have all played basketball at competitive levels.
'That's a big thing is, having systems in place,' says Flagg. 'For me is having my family, having a team of people around me that helps to make my load much lighter. It's been huge for me, having me focus on the main thing.'
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