As the Celtics superstar was cleared to play Friday against the Mavericks after months of recovery from an Achilles injury, the top overall pick of last year's draft simply can't wait for their matchup.
Cooper Flagg is simply looking forward to his highly anticipated face-off with Jayson Tatum.
As news broke out that Tatum has been cleared to make his season debut for the Boston Celtics on Friday against the Dallas Mavericks, the reigning No. 1 overall pick expressed his excitement about their upcoming matchup.
“He was one of the guys I grew up watching. Kind of modeled my game after. Watched him at Duke. It’s special. His whole recovery has been incredible. And just how hard he’s worked. You have to give him so much credit for being so driven and a worker. To come back so soon, it’s incredible," Flagg confessed, via Christian Clark of The Athletic.
"It’s a great opportunity. I think it’s gonna be a really fun game. He’s somebody I’ve always looked up to. And I’m excited to face off and compete against him for sure.”
Tatum is slated for an unprecedented return to the court for the first time since tearing his right Achilles in Game 4 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the New York Knicks.
Both he and Flagg share significant ties. They both came out as top talents from Duke, and their style of play is relatively similar.
Beyond facing Tatum, Friday's matchup against the Celtics would be special for Flagg, as it would mark his first game in front of Massachusetts fans in the TD Garden. The Dallas star grew up as a Boston fan, hailing from Newport, Maine.
On Thursday's 115-114 loss against the Orlando Magic, Flagg officially became the second youngest player in NBA history to reach 1,000 career points. He finished with 18 points after an eight-game absence due to a foot injury.
Thank you for being with us! Subscribe to BN+ and browse ad-free.
If you like our content, please click here and add us as your preferred source. It helps us a lot, and we are committed to delivering you the very latest basketball news.