Dallas Mavericks rookie phenomenon Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, made the cover of another Slam Magazine.
Cooper Flagg first appeared on Slam Magazine Cover in 2023
The 6-foot-9 striker appeared on the cover of a famous sports magazine for the second time, holding a basketball with the bold title “What is pressure?”
According to Yahoo Sports’ Cody Taylor, the latest issue also has a dedicated “orange metal” version, which is only available for a limited 48-hour sales window.
Flagg turned 19 on December 19, first appeared on the cover in December 2023 after pledging to attend Duke University and spending a lonely college season there.
The Mavericks won Flag with the 2025 NBA Draft lottery after General Nico Harrison shocked the NBA community by trading superstar Luka Doncic before the February trade deadline.
Flag won several NCAA awards at Duke
Previously listed as a five-star recruit and a five-star recruit in the 2024 grade, Newport, Maine native became one of the most hyped prospects since LeBron James.
In the 37 games (all starts) of the freshman’s 2024-25 season, he averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, 1.4 blocks and 30.7 minutes of the game, while shooting 48.1% from the field and 38.5% from the depths.
Flag has received several awards in the NCAA, including ACC Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors. He also won Wooden and Naismith Awards for Player of the Year and won the consensus All-American player.
“For me, it’s just love to win games and embrace games. I’ve always wanted to win more victories. It all comes from there,” Flag said in an interview with the magazine.
Mavericks shut down Cooper Flagg early in the NBA Summer League
Flagg and the Mavericks will have an early showdown between the top two draft picks in this year’s draft, against rookies Dylan Harper and the San Antonio Masturs’ 2025-26 seasons.
The Mavericks chose to close Flag in the NBA Summer League after the rookie star scored 31 points in the July 12 showdown against Harper and the Spurs.
Flagg made his summer league debut against the Los Angeles Lakers on July 10 when he scored just 10 points on 5 from 21 shots.
“I think it’s a new environment, a new environment,” Flag said after Dallas lost 76-69 to San Antonio. “They want to see me become aggressive and do this type of thing.
“I think I did better today and just went online and fouled, which helped me become comfortable and settled earlier. Still missing a bunch of free throws. I know my mom might not be happy with it.”
Flag looks forward to playing with NBA veterans
Mavericks summer league coach Josh Broghamer said Flag “just keep making the right game” and praised the former Blue Devils’ work against the Spurs for “losing the ball.”
“It’s always about getting better. There’s a lot you can do and get better. I’ve been trying to get better.”
“I’m glad I’m surrounded by many older experienced guys who have succeeded at the highest level,” he said.
“It would be really cool to learn from them, be a sponge and absorb everything to learn a lot of things.”
