After joining the Mavericks as the No. 1 overall pick, Cooper Flagg opted to return to his original jersey number worn up until last season at Duke.

Cooper Flagg is one of the most hyped rookies in NBA history after being the top selection in the 2025 NBA Draft. He had an outstanding one-and-done campaign with the Duke Blue Devils in which he led his team to the Final Four, along with winning National Player of the Year as a true freshman.

For years, Cooper Flagg was in the spotlight 24/7. He hadn’t even suited up to play for Duke, and he was already the most talked about player in all of college basketball. From being a viral star at Montverde Academy to holding his own against legitimate NBA superstars in the Team USA scrimmages, he proved to be the next star.

Cooper Flagg has all of the expectations put onto him before ever playing a game. Those expectations may be unrealistic.

At Thunder Road Farm, a few miles from Flagg’s hometown, a corn maze tribute has taken shape to honor the Dallas Mavericks' newest draft pick.

Long before he set foot on a college basketball court, NBA scouts and experts had already deemed Cooper Flagg t he best player of his class and the future first-overall pick. He fulfilled that destiny and prophecy after just one year with the Duke Blue Devils, being way ahead of the rest of the pack and looking like a ‘can’t-miss type of talent.’

Dallas Mavericks rookie wing Cooper Flagg showed flashes of greatness during the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas—showcasing the versatile skillset that made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Jason Kidd will have to be creative in how he uses Flagg, something he has already talked about. With Kyrie Irving out with an ACL injury for at least the first half of the season, it'll be a lot of ball-handling by committee.