Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg has thrown down some nice dunks during his rookie season, but he’s unsure about how well he would fare in the NBA’s annual Dunk Contest.
When asked about potentially participating in the annual event, Flagg didn’t rule it out completely, but he also didn’t sound like a guy who will be calling up the league begging to be included.
“See, I don’t know if I can really compete. I’m more of an in-game dunker,” Flagg said. “So never say never, but I don’t know if I can really compete.”
On the season, Flagg has 36 dunks, which is an impressive total for a rookie, especially one who isn’t a big man. Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert is the current league leader in dunks with 101.
Asked Cooper Flagg if he’d consider entering the dunk contest during next month’s NBA All-Star Weekend:
— Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) January 8, 2026
“See, I don’t know if I can really compete. I’m more of an in-game dunker so never say never, but I don’t know if I can really compete.”
He was jokingly asked about the… pic.twitter.com/fk3b8Cgu6J
Flagg, who is shooting just 27 percent from 3-point range this season, hasn’t developed into a sharpshooter, yet. So he joked that he’s probably not the best choice for the 3-point contest, either.
“I don’t know about that either,” Flagg said. “I think we got some better candidates on our team.”
At least the kid has a sense of humor.
One event that Flagg is likely to participate in is the Rising Stars Challenge, which showcases the league’s top rookies and second-year players. Perhaps one day, he’ll play in the All-Star Game, too. If he continues on his current trajectory, that day will probably come sooner rather than later.
On the season, Flagg is averaging 18.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals per performance for the Mavericks.