After an inconsistent start to his rookie season, Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg has picked it up in recent weeks.
The Mavericks visited the Utah Jazz at Delta Center on Monday, and Flagg showed up with another impressive performance. He set his new career-high with about four minutes left in the fourth quarter after scoring his 36th point.
He was isolated against fellow newcomer Ace Bailey on the right flank before driving hard for a tough floater.
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He added another bucket to reach to break the previous record of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James for most points scored by an 18-year-old, according to NBA insider Marc Stein. James dropped 37 points against the Boston Celtics in 2003.
Dallas’ Cooper Flagg just set a single-game NBA scoring record for 18-year-olds with 39 points and counting at Utah … surpassing LeBron James’ 37-point game as an 18-year-old in 2003.
Flagg turns 19 on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/vdf1mHJH68
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) December 16, 2025
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Flagg continues to display his advanced game at such a young age. Many expressed concern after he struggled in his first few games. But he has since silenced them with his string of impressive outings.
The No. 1 overall pick out of Duke is viewed as the future face of the Mavericks. As of now, he has to play behind Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving eventually when he returns from his ACL injury, although Flagg has shown that he can carry the scoring load for the team.
Flagg has earned praise for his work ethic, and he has also shown his competitive fire, two attributes that will only help him become one of the NBA's elite players.
Amid all the issues hounding the Mavericks since the exit of Luka Doncic, Flagg has been a silver lining that fans can hold on to.