Cooper Flagg walked into his first NBA practice knowing he was the top pick. What he didn’t expect was the humbling reality check that followed. The 18-year-old Dallas Mavericks rookie has been learning what it takes to compete at the highest level, and his journey from college star to professional player reveals the challenges and confidence that define his early NBA experience.
What Did Flagg Learn From Playing Against Team USA?
The Summer League in the NBA is heating up as Day 1 kicks off in Las Vegas on Thursday, July 10. All eyes are on the number one pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks. The 18-year-old got to talk a bit about his experiences as a pro and the reality check he got early on, which was the subject of Sports Illustrated’s “Open Floor” NBA podcast’s most recent episode.
Ahead of Cooper Flagg’s NBA summer league debut, @SIChrisMannix sits down with his mother, childhood coaches, NBA vet Brian Scalabrine, and Duke HC Jon Scheyer about growing the talent from a first grader dominating the rec league to the most highly sought after prospect since… pic.twitter.com/qyCt7gVpvO
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) July 10, 2025
The episode focuses on Flagg’s rise from a young player dominating recreational leagues in his home state of Maine to catching the eye of former Boston Celtic Brian Scalabrine. His former coach at Duke University, Jon Scheyer, spoke about how Flagg adjusted and competed fairly well against the United States Men’s National Team in their practices in Las Vegas last year after enduring what Flagg would later call a bout of “nerves”.
Flagg reflected on that experience at the 14:11 mark of the episode. “You get to be in that environment, and you play well. You hold your own. I mean, it tells you what you cannot do, who you cannot play against at that point. So that was the biggest thing,” he began.
“But then, much of the little things I just see in the preparation, the mind and body preparation that they would put in, some of the little things on the court of the IQ, and the way they were able to control the game and different things like that were some of the smaller things.”
Flagg concluded, “I’d say the biggest thing was just the confidence and me being able to play with them and hold my own and then look at the season like, OK, well, I know who I’ve played against before, so I should do my thing, be who I am, and it should work itself out.”
How Will Dallas Use Flagg in His Summer League Debut?
The 6-foot-8-inch, 221-pound forward is considered the best two-way player in this year’s draft class, and his Summer League debut will see him go up against the Los Angeles Lakers featuring guard Bronny James, the son of superstar forward LeBron James. Flagg hasn’t played competitively since April, when the Duke Blue Devils lost to the Houston Cougars in the Final Four by 3 points.
The Mavericks are definitely looking to take full advantage of Flagg’s skills, as head coach Jason Kidd has already publicly floated the idea of the 18-year-old playing at the point guard position, “being able to run the two.” Point guards have been one concern for the team, with veteran point guard Kyrie Irving recovering from injury. Still, they acquired D’Angelo Russell at the beginning of free agency in a $12 million 2-year deal.
Still, you might see Flagg utilized in different roles when tip-off occurs at 8 p.m. ET, including getting some time as a small forward outside of the lane, as a clip of him making several three-pointers in a row went viral on Wednesday night (July 9).
