Cooper Flagg is just days away from his first-ever NBA regular-season debut, and because of his rookie status in the league, he and every other first-year player will wear a new patch on their jerseys.
On Wednesday, Oct. 15, the NBA and Topps announced that rookies would wear jerseys with a "Debut Patch" on the chest, similar to how players do in the MLB to differentiate their first game in the league versus all of the rest.
The best part? Flagg is one of nearly half a dozen rookies in the league from Duke this season, alongside Kon Knueppel, Tyrese Proctor, Sion James, and more.
Simply put, the Blue Devil to NBA debut is as strong as ever, and it is currently being spearheaded by Flagg, who was taken by the Dallas Mavericks as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
BREAKING: Beginning this season, all NBA rookies will wear a Debut Patch on their jersey.
— Topps (@Topps) October 15, 2025
After a player makes their on-court debut, the patch will be removed from their jersey and placed into a 1-of-1 autographed trading card.
These cards will then be randomly inserted into… pic.twitter.com/lJMMjqLNXT
Just hours before Flagg and the Mavs tip off in his second-ever NBA pre-season game, the hype around the former Duke Blue Devil grew because of an announcement as simple as a new jersey patch.
In the first preseason game of his young professional career, Flagg racked up an incredible 10 points, six rebounds, three assists, and one block. Just a couple of months earlier, the former Blue Devil had earned 41 points over a two-game stretch of the NBA's Summer League.
Throughout the two games of his "offseason" career with the Dallas Mavs, Flagg earned 41 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, three steals, and two blocks. He is undeniably going to be a star, and the regular season might not be ready for just how good Flagg is about to be.
On Wednesday, Oct. 15, Flagg and the Dallas Mavs were scheduled to tip off at 10:30 p.m. ET in a preseason matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. The game would be broadcast on ESPN.