Destiny played the game of dice with the Dallas Mavericks. Four months ago, when Luka Doncic left for the Lakers, Nico Harrison and the front office faced the wrath of heartbroken fans. How could the Mavs give away their face to the rivals? Did they forget? He took them into the Finals in 2024. But then June arrived with a second chance, and Destiny rolled the dice again. Here they were, the most-hated front office with the No. 1 Draft pick. And that’s how they rewrote their story. And that’s how Cooper Flagg became a Maverick.

Sounds like a movie, no? Indeed, it is one for the history books with all those tears, anger, and drama. But that laugh seemingly always belonged to Harrison and his boss, Patrick Dumont. On Friday, the Duke Blue Devils’ forward finally arrived in Dallas and appeared before the media. The bustling conference room, the streets filled with hope, Cooper’s welcome was a grand one. The 18-year-old suited up in style, ready to answer the media. ESPN’s Tim McMahon kind of phrased a question for Flagg that the team was building around Luka Doncic, and plans change. The response? It is in the reaction that became the headlines.

Instead of directly answering MacMahon’s emotional question, the 18-year-old gave a side-eye with a cheeky smirk on his face! What? Why would he do that? Nick Angstadt asked a similar question to his co-host, Isaac Harris, on the Locked On Mavericks podcast. “He made this little cringe face and was looking at his brother in the front row. I wonder how much they’ve talked about that whole thing—the Luka trade and moving on from him. That was a funny moment going around right now,” Nick enquired.

Harris responded: “I don’t know if maybe his brother was doing something in the front row that made him look over at that time, or it was the content that made him look over. Either way, it was a funny thing. As soon as it happened, I was like, this is going to be a meme.” Now, what truly happened?

When MacMahon dropped Luka’s name, Cooper Flagg at first stayed silent. Then, with a sly side-eye and a grin that spoke volumes, he looked to his right. Finally, he delivered a response cooler than courtside seats. “Yeah, I’m coming in just trying to learn and trying to get better every single day,” 32 responded. “And I think if I can do that to the best of my ability, think about expectations and pressures that other people will put on me and our team, that will kind of work itself out. So I’m just trying to come in and be the best that I can be and just win at the highest level.”

Tim MacMahon painted a picture draped in legacy. Dirk Nowitzki, immortalized in bronze, ruled Dallas. Meanwhile, Luka seemed destined to follow, until the winds shifted. Now, all signs point to a new era. The question? Not just about filling shoes—but stepping into a myth. Moreover, heavy lies the crown, but history waits.

Meanwhile, behind the cameras and flashing smiles, something bigger was stirring. From ticketing crews to scouting minds, nearly every Maverick employee showed up for Cooper Flagg’s first press conference. Not just to clap, but to feel. Because this wasn’t just a new player arriving—it was the beginning of change. Quietly, the heart of the franchise started beating louder again.

Cooper Flagg’s first day in Dallas flips the switch on Maverick employees

So, a lot of interesting things happened at Cooper’s introductory press conference as a Dallas Mavericks rookie. First, head coach Jason Kidd announced that he is planning on playing the Blue Devils’ superstar as a point guard against the South Bay Lakers in the Summer League in July. Well, that seems like an intriguing idea, because, well, the team doesn’t have Kyrie Irving and Luka to hold the position. So, why not experiment? Trials and errors, you see!

“It was a big event. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the amount of Mavs people there. Every single employee who works for the Mavericks was there. There were like 40, 50, 60 people from all different venues—ticketing, the new building project, scouts, front office people. Everybody. Dumont and his whole family were there. Mark Aguirre was there. Rolando Blackman was there. Josh Howard was there,” Nick Angstadt commented. However, none of the current players were there, not even Dirk.

Meanwhile, minority owner Mark Cuban showed up and talked with ESPN for a while. His emphasis on looking forward to the future resonated with the Dallas Mavericks‘ state of mind. “The energy was at an all-time high. Everybody I talked to from all different parts of the Mavs was like, ‘We’re back up, baby.’ That’s what it felt like all across, because it’s been a tough time for a lot of people in different places in the Mavericks. It was a decision they didn’t make that affected them in a lot of ways,” the podcast host added.

The moment Cooper Flagg stepped into Dallas, something shifted. A smirk, a question, a plan at point guard—suddenly, hope had a new jersey. From front office whispers to Cuban’s big-picture dreams, the energy was real. No Luka, no Kyrie. Just a fresh face and a city ready to rise again.