Cooper Flagg was that 1.8% chance the Dallas Mavericks had at the NBA draft lottery last year. And to say that the franchise struck gold would be an understatement. The Duke prodigy has been phenomenal in his rookie season. He is the favorite candidate for ROTY. Yet, everyone across the league can’t help but draw parallels with Luka Doncic.

Maybe it’s time to put the narrative to rest. At least, that’s what Cooper’s mother, Kelly Flagg, believes. Therefore, she used her X handle to put up a strong message. “Can we stop with the comparisons and just let Cooper be Cooper?” she wrote. “He’s striving to be the best version of himself every day.”

She further suggests that while parts of his playing style resemble past players, he is not copying anyone. Instead, she highlights his dedication to studying basketball, understanding its nuances, and improving rapidly. Clearly, the mother of the 19-year-old is extremely proud of what he’s doing in his rookie season.

Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks have struggled immensely this season. They are currently 12th in a loaded West with a 19-32 record. However, Flagg has been their only bright spot in a bleak 2025-26 regular season. The rookie has been dominant throughout the season. Across 47 games, he has averaged 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists, while shooting 48.5% from the field and 29.8% from three-point range.

Across his previous four outings, Cooper Flagg delivered 49, 34, 36, and 32 points. As a result, the Mavericks confirmed Friday that Flagg became the first newcomer since Michael Jordan to produce four consecutive performances of 30 points alongside five rebounds. Furthermore, he joined Allen Iverson as the only rookie to amass 150 or more points across any four-game stretch.

Following the historic achievement, the Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said, “He’s such a positive kid… It’s not about his stats, it’s about his teammates and about winning… He wants to win, he wants to help his team win… If he continues to do this, he’s gonna put us in a position to win that championship.” In fact, Coach Kidd didn’t even shy away from defending Cooper last week and received a $35,000 penalty from the league.

Jason Kidd got protective of Cooper Flagg

The Dallas Mavericks’ last outing against the Houston Rockets ended in a 107-111 loss. However, the official’s decision on a no-call for Cooper Flagg enraged Jason Kidd. With 29 seconds remaining, the rookie drove left and attacked the rim.

Meanwhile, the Rockets’ guard Amen Thompson and Kevin Durant closed in to cut him off. The lane was crowded, and the contact was obvious, so the finish became difficult. As a result, the ball spun out instead of dropping.

However, the refs didn’t blow the whistle and kept going. So, at the end of the game, Coach Kidd didn’t shy away from calling names in the post-game presser.

“I saw a foul,” Kidd said. “Sean Wright, Jason Goldenberg, and Simone Jelks were awful tonight. That was unacceptable. It’s a foul.” At the same time, addressing the media’s scrutiny about Cooper Flagg’s role on the team, Kidd didn’t mince words.

“I don’t give a f*** about the criticism,” Kidd said. “That’s your opinion. You guys write that bulls***. I’ve played this game at a very high level, and I know what the f*** I’m doing.”

In simple terms, neither the Dallas Mavericks organization nor Cooper’s mother is going to entertain any odd narrative about the 19-year-old. The rightful No.1 draft pick of 2025 is proving why he was the first preference to begin with.