In Cooper Flagg's NBA debut, he and the Dallas Mavericks fell short of defeating the San Antonio Spurs, despite the former Blue Devil earning a double-double in his first regular-season game in the league.
Other than Flagg's 10 points and 10 rebounds, the Mavs' offense struggled to match the high-caliber pace and success rate of the Spurs, but even after the loss, Flagg made sure to keep his head high.
As the former Duke Blue Devil walked back to the locker room, Flagg stopped to give back to fans, signing a young boy's hat and posing with another fan who was in the tunnel. Simply put, the rookie was a class act even in the midst of disappointment.
Cooper Flagg is a class act.
— Sam Gannon (@SamGannon87) October 23, 2025
Made this kid’s night. I’m sure he isn’t thrilled after that game but it’s one of 82.
It’s a process.#dallasmavericks #mffl pic.twitter.com/EFDSkPU8mn
Cooper Flagg makes history in NBA debut
While a double-double is already impressive enough for a rookie in the league, Flagg's performance was even more notable as he became the youngest-ever player to earn a double-double in their NBA debut.
Cooper Flagg is the youngest player in NBA history to have a double-double in their debut. pic.twitter.com/Za3i1naHhk
— Real Sports (@realapp) October 23, 2025
While the double-double wasn't enough to push the Mavs to victory, it was still a step in the right direction for Flagg, even though he had an extremely slow start to the game, disappointing a few Dallas fans who had regained hope after their team drafted Flagg first overall.
Last season, the Mavericks' franchise was under fire after trading legendary point guard Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers. However, it looked like things were turning around when Dallas got the first overall pick and selected Flagg in the 2025 NBA Draft.
His Summer League and preseason performances built on that excitement, and following the slow start, his double-double was the cherry on top. However, one man (especially an 18-year-old rookie) can't win the game by himself.
Fellow Duke Blue Devil Derreck Lively clocked in for 10 minutes, contributing four points, three assists, and two rebounds. The rest of the Mavs' starting lineup (Anthony Davis, P.J. Washington, and Klay Thompson) scored double-digit points.
However, the Dallas bench only combined for 29 total points as yet another former Blue Devil and future NBA Hall of Famer, Kyrie Irving, did not clock into the game.