There was a lot of hype entering the 2025-26 NBA season around first overall pick Cooper Flagg.
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And the former Duke Blue Devil showed exactly why on Monday with a historic display against the Utah Jazz.
Flagg makes history as an 18 year old
While his Dallas Mavericks ultimately went down 140-133 in overtime in their matchup with Utah, Flagg had a standout performance in which he recorded the most points scored in NBA history by an 18 year old with a 42 point haul, as per the NBA.
Having also picked up six assists in the OT loss, Flagg also joins a list that includes LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Anthony Edwards by becoming only the fourth teenager in the history of the league to have a 40 point and five assist game, as per ESPN Insights.
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Out of those four players however, Flagg is the first one to do so at the age of 18.
So far this season, Flagg has been one of the few bright spots for Dallas as he has averaged an impactful 18.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game for a Mavericks squad that has been without nine time All-Star Kyrie Irving as he recovers from a torn ACL, while star big man Anthony Davis has also missed games due to injury.
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Dec 15, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) goes to the basket as Utah Jazz forward Kyle Anderson (2) defends during the first quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
This has been one of the key reasons for their on-court struggles as the Mavs currently find themselves outside the Western conference play-in spots with a 10-17 record.
While many Mavericks fans may still be hurting from last year’s mid-season trade of Luka Doncic, which happened under the watch of former GM Nico Harrison – who has since been fired, Flagg at least represents a source of hope as a potential future superstar which the franchise can build around moving forward.
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