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DALLAS — Not long after an emotional NBA Cup win over the Houston Rockets on Friday, Cooper Flagg was asked about the joys of the Dallas’ Mavericks’ new two-star dynamic. Flagg and Kyrie Irving had combined for 68 points, 15 assists and 13 rebounds in the contest, the Mavs’ third win in a row. But the 19-year-old didn’t want to focus on himself or take away from his team’s achievement against a legitimate contender.
Flagg redirected the question to preach about players excelling in their various roles regardless of perceived status.
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“We have a lot of stars,” he said.
Such a remark can be lost in a postgame interview, especially one where the subject tends to keep things brief and direct. But in that moment, Flagg was displaying a level of leadership that is typically unbeknownst to teenagers, much less budding superstars being handed the keys to a franchise.
(Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports Illustration)
In three months, it will mark two years since the stunning Dallas trade that sent Luka Dončić to Los Angeles in exchange for Anthony Davis. The massive void left by Dončić and the emotional toll from such a jarring move created a butterfly effect for the city and organization, ultimately leading to the drafting of Flagg, but also the firing of head coach Jason Kidd and general manager Nico Harrison, and the hiring of Dusty May and Masai Ujiri this offseason.
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But beauty can emerge from despair. So when May and Ujiri embraced in the tunnel after the final buzzer against Houston, hope re-emerged. And although the transition between eras has certainly come with its fair share of detours, Flagg’s growing leadership in Year 2 — and, more importantly, his veteran teammates empowering him — has provided a North Star to follow.
“He’s taken a step into a leadership role,” teammate Daniel Gafford said. “There’s different ways you can lead in certain areas. With Coop, he just finds ways to have fun throughout the craziest times. Kyrie [Irving] is one of the biggest leaders in the locker room and he leads by his voice and example. Coop is following suit and taking notes and doing it…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/the-rise-of-cooper-flagg-how-the-mavericks-teenage-star-is-leading-the-franchise-forward-180326411.html
Author : Kelly Iko
Publish date : 2026-11-04 16:05:00
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