Cooper Flagg Solving Dirk Nowitzki & Mavs’ Issues But $75.3B Company Keep Luka Doncic Fight Alive

It’s been over 7 months now since one of the most shocking trades in NBA history took place, when Luka Doncic was sent away from the Dallas Mavericks. The move particularly did not please Mavs fame Dirk Nowitzki, who said, “But this trade really hurt. And it will take a while before everyone processes it and moves on”. Despite the German standing behind the Slovenian, Luka Doncic is not reported to be amongst the guests at Dirk Nowitzki’s 7th Annual Tennis Classic. Instead, an invite went to the Mavericks’ new golden boy.

According to a recent report from ‘The Dallas Morning News’ Beat Writer Mike Curtis, Cooper Flagg is set to be a part of Dirk Nowitzki’s annual event. The Dallas Mavericks rookie will be joined by a group of other star names like Texas Rangers legend Elvis Andrus, former Mavs guard Devin Harris, Joakim Noah, and Steve Nash.

Before this revelation, no reports indicated that Cooper Flagg used to play tennis. However, as Curtis revealed, he had gotten an exclusive with Nowitzki, through which he was able to get an insight into Nowitzki’s “budding relationship” with Flagg. Therefore, whether the 18-year-old plays tennis or not, he was enticed to join this exhibition-style tournament due to this ‘budding relationship’.

The timing perhaps matters because Nowitzki has reportedly grown increasingly distant from the Mavs. Apart form being aghast due to the Doncic trade, the 2011 NBA Champion and Finals MVP also feels sidelined from basketball operations, per a Sports Insider report. As a matter of fact, he was “completely turned off by this franchise”, and it didn’t help that Nico Harrison kept him and Mark Cuban out of the loop since, according to him, “If they’re not in the building, they don’t know what’s going on”.

Hence, Flagg’s appearance at the tournament, despite the fact that he does not seem to be a tennis enthusiast, may just be the start. Nowitzki is one of the most cherished figures in Dallas’ history, and Cooper Flagg has already been deemed the next best thing for the Dallas Mavericks.

As Yahoo! Sports reporter Jeff Eisenberg highlighted, “those in Flagg’s circle are convinced he’s ready for the unusual burden that comes with the Dallas Mavericks selecting him No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft”. Therefore, Dirk Nowitzki aligning with Flagg allows a bridge to be formed for better relations with the former player and his former team.

The Golf Tournament can, with any luck, draw the Dallas Mavericks’ fans’ attention towards Flagg and Nowitzki. After all, as of right now, the majority of their attention might be going to the Luka Doncic-themed billboards. Goes to show that while the front office may have already christened Flagg, the city is yet to move on from a certain Slovenian.

Luka Doncic’s collaboration with Activision takes over Dallas

A few days ago, it was announced that Luka Doncic had partnered up with the Activision-Blizzard label to be a part of a first-of-its-kind promotion of Blizzard Entertainment’s Overwatch 2. Through the collab event, Overwatch players can reportedly earn themed cosmetics, test out Luka’s personalized builds, and more. The marketing team soon spread the word far and wide, and even took quite an eye-catching approach when it came to promoting the game at Luka Doncic’s old playing grounds.

Mike Curtis recently took to X to show a picture of an Overwatch 2 billboard he saw when heading to the office. He highlighted the thing that caught his eye by stating, “The “Cowboys Never Die” message sounds very intentional.” NBA reporter Issac Harris highlighted another billboard, carrying the same message, that was placed right in front of the Mavericks arena, the American Airlines Center, on Nowitzki Way!

According to reports, sources close to the Mavericks revealed that the idea for the billboard had been in the works for weeks. The message and location were selected on purpose to not just advertise the game by the  $75.3 billion worth company, but also “to connect Luka Doncic with Dallas culture”.

While the Mavericks have not reportedly addressed the billboards yet, some fans reportedly believe that Luka Doncic is “stepping into a bigger picture in Dallas culture”. Therefore, there can be no better time than now for Dallas to show the past and the future of the Mavs enjoying tennis together.