Hall of Fame former Dallas Mavericks superstar power Dirk Nowitzki has weighed in on his heir apparent Cooper Flagg's transition to the pros.
While navigating a loaded 35-4 Duke Blue Devils to a Final Four berth last season, the 6-foot-9 forward averaged 19.2 points on .481/.385/.840 shooting splits, 7.5 boards and 4.2 dimes in 37 contests. He earned the 2025 Associated Press Player of the Year Award, the Wooden Award, and the Naismith Award, while being named the 2025 ACC Player of the Year and an ACC All-Defensive Teamer.
Beyond Flagg, two other Duke standout prospects — Charlotte Hornets swingman Kon Knueppel (the No. 4 pick) and Phoenix Suns center Khaman Maluach (No. 10) — were selected in the 2025 NBA draft lottery.
Flagg's defensive upside could endear the 18-year-old to his veteran teammates on the Mavericks quickly, even if it's unlikely he performs at an All-Star level this season. He'll be joining a theoretically playoff/play-in tournament-ready squad in 2025-26, led by oft-hurt future Hall of Famers Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving. The latter guard is still on the mend from an ACL tear, and should return midseason.
Another injury-prone Hall of Famer in his 30s, 35-year-old swingman Klay Thompson, is also currently a Mavericks starter — although, unlike Davis or Irving, Thompson is no longer an All-Star.
Dirk Nowitzki's words of wisdom for Cooper Flagg
Can Flagg ascend in time before Davis and Irving meaningfully decline? That remains to be seen. Either way, he faces an exciting future on one of the league's premiere franchises.
While talking to Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News, Nowitzki explained how difficult it could be for the young gun to adjust to the NBA.
New story: Dirk Nowitzki is preparing for his foundation's 7th annual celebrity tennis event.
— Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) September 2, 2025
We had a brief conversation about the annual fundraiser, his budding relationship with Cooper Flagg, where his relationship with stands with the #Mavs & more. https://t.co/TElSWgzJ4d
"It was hard for me," Nowitzki said of his own shift into the world's most competitive basketball league. "My personality wasn’t, ‘Hey, look at me. I’m the big speech guy. Follow me now.’ I had to grow into it. Learn through some mistakes."
Nowitzki, the No. 9 pick in the 1998 draft, evolved into an All-Star by his fourth season, 2001-02. He made 13 more such appearances over the course of his career, and was named to 12 All-NBA squads. Most importantly, the 2007 MVP also led the Mavericks to two NBA Finals during his prime, winning in 2011.
For his career, the seven-footer boasted regular season averages of 20.7 points on .471/.380/.879 shooting splits, 7.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.8 blocks a night. One of the all-time elite shooting big, Nowitzki helped the league reimagine what was possible at his size and position.
He's one of the few players ever to achieve 50/40/90 slash line —connecting on over 50 percent of his field goals, 40 percent of his 3-point tries, and 90 percent from the foul line.
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"I’m not quite sure I can help him with advice," Nowitzki acknowledged. "The only thing is keep your eyes and ears open. Keep learning from your veterans. He’s got some incredible players on the team now with Kyrie [Irving], obviously Klay [Thompson]. AD’s [Anthony Davis] been around forever. There’s so much knowledge there that he can tap into and learn from. Ask questions. How are their pregame routines? What do they eat? How do they prepare for events? What do they do with appearances? How do they interact with the media? That was key for me at the beginning, watching Michael Finley, who was a true pro. Steve Nash, learning from them."
Nowitzki's rise helped the Mavericks become a perpetual contender throughout most of the 2000's and the beginning of the 2010's. Now, he expects Irving, Thompson and Davis to be the kinds of leaders for Flagg that Nash and Finley were to him.
"I think that’ll be my advice. Learn as much as you can," Nowitzki said. "Soak it all up and eventually use it and find your own routine. Find your own way of leading. I don’t think there’s just one way to do it. I think a team can see through some stuff if they think, ‘This is not him.’ or ‘This is fake.’ You want to be as natural as possible and be yourself and find your own way of leading."
Flagg's addition — plus the emergence of young rim-running center Dereck Lively II — points to the mismanaged Mavericks' strange two-timelines roster situation. Dallas has young talent it needs to grow and develop, but has also committed a combined $107.3 to three frequently hurt old guys this year who are all 32 or older.
"But at the beginning, it’s all about learning and keeping your eyes and ears open. There will be some tough times," Nowitzki allowed. "It’s not an easy transition. It’s the best league in the world. Work through the kinks and go from there."
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