Cooper Flagg used his postgame press conference to frame Sunday’s 45-point performance in Dallas as more than just another scoring binge. The Mavericks rookie said the chance to share the floor with LeBron James was “pretty cool” and “a dream come true.”
“Obviously, you know, he’s somebody that, when I was a little kid, you know, watched him go through his whole career,” Flagg said. “So it’s really impressive, obviously, first of all, just to watch him and see him be able to do the things that he’s, you know, still able to do out there.”
Flagg, who is 19, made clear the Lakers star still commands his respect. “These are the moments, these are the times, like, to be able to match up against somebody like that, you know, the career that he’s had, he’s obviously one of the greatest,” he said.
The rookie also pushed back on the idea that his weekend surge changed his approach. After back-to-back games of 45 points or more, Flagg said, “I think it’s definitely, you know, some sort of statement. But, you know, it just goes back to what I said. You know, I’m confident in myself, and, you know, I know what I’m capable of, and I’ll just let the rest of the stuff figure itself out.”
Flagg finished with 45 points, nine assists and eight rebounds as Dallas beat the Lakers 134-128 and ended a 14-game home losing streak. He said the win mattered more than the individual numbers: “Tonight, for sure. Obviously, anytime you can have a good individual performance, you know, followed up with a team victory is much better for me, and that’s what I always look for.”
He also said hearing MVP chants at the line was a sign the home crowd was still with the team. “It’s cool just to see the fans showing up every single night still and supporting us in a big way,” Flagg said.
Looking ahead, Flagg said his focus stays on the basics. “Just being grateful, you know, being grateful for the opportunity, the situation I’m in and trying to take advantage of it,” he said, adding, “No, just staying consistent, you know, just trying to get in the gym as much as possible and just staying consistent with that work.”
Flagg also pointed to the season’s losses as a source of motivation. “I think the losing. You know, that’s something that I think — me personally, but I think the whole team in general, will definitely take away from this year,” he said. “That’s a terrible feeling. It’s not fun to lose so many games.”
