Cooper Flagg Makes His Team USA Dream Extremely Clear
As expected, Cooper Flagg has been one of the NBA's most impressive rookies this season. Unfortunately, we haven't seen the Dallas Mavericks forward in a couple of weeks.
Flagg has not played since suffering a left foot sprain on Feb. 10. Unable to help his team on the court, he's focused on staying engaged and developing off of it.
"It's just a part of of being on the team, being a competitor. wanting to help my team win no matter what," Flagg told Men's Journal this weekend. "So just showing up and doing what I can, telling the guys what I see, trying to help them in a lot of different ways, even if I can't do the job there."
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Flagg entered the league with considerable hype. He was immediately embraced by Mavs fans, many of whom came out to meet him in person at the AT&T Dunk Bus stop in Dallas Saturday.
"The fans have been amazing. Ever since I got here, day one, they've been really supportive and they've showed up in a big way," Flagg said. "Obviously, the season hasn't gone the way we wanted it to, but the fans have done their part and showed up all the way through. Events like this are a great opportunity to connect with fans and just spend time."
Flagg makes quick leap to pro game
The Duke University product has been as advertised in his first pro season, averaging 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists over 49 games.
The current favorite to win Rookie of the Year, Flagg said being able to "prepare my body and prepare my mind and be ready" is something he was focused on before his injury. As far as adjustments go, it wasn't all about the game itself.
"There's a ton of adjustments, but I would say one of the big thing is just mentally," he explained. "It's a huge difference from the lifestyle and everything like that in college to being professional and carrying yourself the right way at all times. You know, you just have to be a pro. So I'd say just mentally changing and growing is a lot of differences."
LA 2028 on the horizon?
Flagg won a gold medal with USA Basketball at the FIBA Under-17 World Cup in 2022. The 2028 Olympics are a little more than two years away, and the most recent roster projections for the American squad all include Flagg.
Suiting up for the red, white and blue in Los Angeles is something Flagg has on his mind.
"Playing for Team USA has always been a dream of mine. It's always been a huge honor for me," Flagg said. "When I was younger, playing for the under-17 team, it was such an honor to be able to play for your country in any way.
"It's going to be a dream come true for me, and obviously something that I would love to do. And if I get that opportunity, that would be amazing. I think that's one of the greatest honors you can have in our sport, and I really look forward to having the opportunity."
For now though, the focus is on rehabbing, and then once the offseason rolls around, working on his overall game for year two.
"There's a lot I want to improve on," Flagg said. "I just want to continue to work and grow at getting comfortable with the ball in my hand. I'll try and learn and get better at making reads, faster, quicker, being more decisive, shooting, defense. I mean, you can work on everything. There's always room for growth, so just keep trying to get better."