The future is bright for former Duke Blue Devil Cooper Flagg. He proved that during his rookie season in the NBA, averaging 21 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.9 blocks in 70 appearances with the Dallas Mavericks. These numbers earned Flagg the NBA’s Rookie of the Year Award honors over his former college teammate Kon Knueppel.
Ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season, Flagg has an NBA legend in his corner. Hall of Famer and former Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki recently revealed that his door is always open for Flagg.
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“We met a few times, and we’re obviously in contact,” Nowitzki said. “I write him a few things when I see something. So, he knows that I’m in his corner whenever I want him to succeed and do well. But like I said, he’s so far ahead of the curve already at that age. But if there’s ever anything that he needs, I’m more than happy to help.”
Nowitzki, a 21-year veteran (who spent his entire career with Dallas), won one MVP award and one NBA title. He also helped pioneer the stretch big man with his 3-point shooting prowess. Ironically, long-distance shooting appears to be Flagg’s only weakness, having shot 29.5% from beyond the arc during his rookie campaign. That said, Flagg’s athleticism, versatility and finishing ability are strong enough to wreak havoc on opposing defenses as is.
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This article originally appeared on Duke Wire: NBA Hall of Famer ‘happy to help’ Cooper Flagg
