The Ryder Cup is always packed with big names from the golf world, but on Sept. 27, the spotlight briefly shifted to a teenager who hasn’t played a single NBA game yet.
Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, found himself sharing a moment with none other than Michael Jordan at Bethpage Black on Saturday. For an 18-year-old preparing to launch his professional basketball career, it was a meeting with one of his biggest idols.
Details of Cooper Flagg Meeting Michael Jordan
Flagg has never hidden his love for golf. In fact, when asked in the past about his dream foursome, the young forward named Michael Jordan, Steph Curry, and Jayson Tatum as his top choices. On Saturday, at least one part of that dream became a reality.
Jordan, who has long been associated with golf — even building his own course, Grove XXIII, in Florida — was photographed alongside Flagg, creating an instant viral moment among basketball fans.
MJ 🤝 Coop
Epic link up at the Ryder Cup ⛳️@PGA @RyderCupUSA // #MFFL pic.twitter.com/pullgt0DCq
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) September 27, 2025
For Jordan, who remains one of the most influential figures in sports decades after his retirement, it was a casual Ryder Cup appearance. But for Flagg, who’s about to make his NBA debut, the encounter carried a little more weight. It was a chance to stand next to someone he grew up watching in highlights, a legend whose competitive fire and winning legacy continue to inspire the next generation.
The Mavericks are entering the new season with as much intrigue as any team in the league, and Flagg is the primary reason why. Dallas entered the draft lottery with only a 1.8% chance of landing the top pick. Somehow, luck was on their side, and they quickly used it to draft the 6’9″ forward out of Duke.
Flagg dominated in his lone season with the Blue Devils, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game, all while shooting an efficient 48.1% from the floor and nearly 39% from beyond the arc. His versatile game — able to score at all three levels while defending multiple positions — is exactly what NBA teams covet.
In Dallas, his role will be significant from the very beginning. With Kyrie Irving sidelined by an ACL injury and Anthony Davis stationed at power forward, Flagg is expected to slot in at small forward. That means he’ll not only be on the floor with veteran stars like Davis, Klay Thompson, and D’Angelo Russell, but he’ll also have the ball in his hands early in the season.
The Mavericks, who open the year against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs on Oct. 22, are already positioning Flagg as a central figure in their plans.
The hype around the Newport, Maine native is enormous. At just 18, he carries the weight of being a franchise cornerstone, with comparisons already drawn to other modern phenoms who entered the league with similar expectations.
