Cooper Flagg, widely projected to be the No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA Draft, is on the verge of making history. And when it happens, the 18-year-old will become the youngest player to be drafted first overall since LeBron James in 2003. That’s some huge footsteps to follow.
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Ahead of the Draft, which takes place on June 25, Flagg shared why he reclassified to graduate from high school in three years. He credited his mother, Kelly Bowman Flagg, for pushing him with a key piece of advice that helped shape his competitive mindset.
Kelly, a former college basketball player, simply told him to always strive to be greater. Since he was already the best in high school, he needed a new environment — one that would push him to reach even greater heights. Flagg needed tougher challenges, and that guided him into a new direction.
Flagg stated that making that decision wasn’t very difficult for him either. He knew he was better than the competition around him, so he had to climb up. A clip of the 18-year-old’s media conversation was posted on X by Ben Golliver, and it caught Mark Cuban’s attention.
The former majority owner of the Dallas Mavericks loved what Flagg said and quickly related it to the world of business.
“This applies to business, too. Great quote !” Cuban wrote on X. Cuban’s involvement shows he’s still deeply invested in the team’s future, even if he’s no longer the majority owner.
This applies to business, too. Great quote! https://t.co/ZpQl2PXRVJ
— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) June 24, 2025
The 66-year-old still holds minority shares in the Mavericks. And on Draft day, barring something truly unexpected, they’re set to bring the best talent in the country into the organization. With the No. 1 pick in the Draft, the Mavericks have every reason to be excited. When it was announced in May that Dallas had landed the top selection, Cuban didn’t hide his enthusiasm.
His reaction made it clear how much the moment meant, especially with a generational talent like Flagg on the board. Cuban wrote, “Unreal. OMFG. Let’s go Mavs.”
Unreal
OMFG
Let’s Go Mavs
— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) May 13, 2025
While nothing is official yet, Flagg’s path seems all but set. He’s built to thrive at the next level, and the Mavericks are perfectly positioned to benefit from that.
Once the team is fully healthy, with stars Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, and Cooper Flagg all in the lineup, they could be a force to be reckoned with in the Western Conference.
