The Cooper Flagg Breakout We’ve Been Waiting For

Cooper Flagg has had his fair share of ups and downs during his rookie campaign, but on Saturday night, he showed us exactly what the Mavericks were banking on when they took him No. 1.

The kid didn’t just hoop — he announced himself.

Flagg dropped 35 points in Dallas’ 114–110 win over the Clippers, shooting 13-for-22 and 9-for-11 from the stripe.

No nerves. No rookie wall. No “I’m just trying to fit in.”

He played 38 minutes, a team-high, like Jason Kidd looked at him and said, “Hey man, either you sink or you swim.”

Flagg backstroked.

But here’s the historical context that made the night go crazy: Flagg became the youngest player in NBA history to score 35+ in a game, passing some guy named LeBron James.

Yeah… that LeBron.

And it didn’t stop there.

Flagg also joined Bron as the only players in NBA history to drop 30+ before turning 19. LBJ was 18 years and 348 days old during his first 35-piece.

Flagg did it five days younger.

The math isn’t hard: Cooper Flagg is really hooping like he has no business being that young.

And that was one of the most slept-on parts of his profile heading into the draft: he was the youngest player in the entire class and the second-youngest No. 1 pick ever, right behind Bron.

The birthday alignment is wild, just days apart, different decades.

So is this a sign of things to come? Maybe. Maybe not.

But what we can say is this: Flagg is averaging over 15 points, six boards, and 3 dimes as a rookie, and he still looks like he doesn't fully know how good he can be.

There are still growing pains, as expected, but there’s also a clear pattern: every time he touches the court, he looks like he learns something new.

One game to the next. Possession to possession. It’s like watching a teenager download NBA basketball in real time like Neo in the Matrix.

And look… let me keep it a buck.

I wasn’t high on him coming out of Duke. I wasn’t drinking the Kool-Aid. Didn’t see the “offensive bag” everybody kept tweeting about.

But I’ll be honest ... dude has proven me wrong early. He’s more skilled than I thought. He’s athletic, he’s got confidence, he’s coachable, and the moment isn’t too big for him.

And he hasn’t even gotten to consistently play his real position yet — small forward.

Now, let’s slow down the parade for a second…

Can he eventually be the No. 1 option on a championship team?

That’s the real question. And honestly… I’m not crowning him yet.

This league is full of dudes who had crazy rookie moments but never turned the “next step” corner.

As good as Flagg looks, the NBA is about how you respond once teams scout you, scheme against you, and try to take your confidence apart piece by piece.

But what we’re seeing right now? A kid who’s not scared. A kid who works. A kid who’s learning fast. A kid who could absolutely terrorize defenses for the next decade if the development curve keeps trending the way it is.

One thing’s for sure though: The Mavericks didn’t just draft potential; they drafted problems.

For everybody else.