Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki offered some advice to Mavs rookie Cooper Flagg following comments from Flagg about how Dallas’ early season struggles were taking a toll on him.
“I would just keep on working. I know you have a tremendous work ethic. So, you work your way through it,” Nowitzki said to Flagg. “You come in the next day. You're the first in the gym. You get shots up. Get with an assistant coach. Watch film and you just get better. That's the bottom line. Losing or not, you try to keep a positive attitude. You get there to get better every day. You play every position.
“You had a shot to get the game-winner the other day, or at least tie the game at the end — that's great for you — great reps to be in that position. So, keep on working, my friend. Keep your head up and things will be OK.”
"Work your way through it."@swish41 gives Cooper Flagg some words of encouragement after the Mavs' tough start to the season 🤝 pic.twitter.com/NRMnzmxCrO
— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) November 8, 2025
The Mavs selected Flagg with the top overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft to be the new face of the franchise after the team shockingly traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers prior to the trade deadline last season. Flagg, though, has struggled out of the gate compared to early expectations, and he recently expressed frustration with the losing that he’s experienced in Dallas.
“For me it’s the most I’ve lost since, you know, I think ever,” Flagg said following Dallas’ recent loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. “So it’s obviously a lot different. And you just have to adapt to just playing a lot more games and get used to that.
"I wouldn’t say anybody is happy," he added. "Guys obviously are trying to stay levelheaded and know that we got a lot more games to go and it’s still really early. But just speaking personally, it’s not fun to just keep losing and losing games.”
Nowitzki’s advice to Flagg is sound, and the Hall-of-Famer was speaking from experience. The Mavs finished 11th in the Western Conference during Dirk’s rookie season, and they finished 9th during his sophomore season. He didn’t sniff the postseason until his third year in the league. In the meantime, he improved individually and helped turn Dallas into a perennial contender.
For Flagg and the Mavs, the hope has to be that he can follow a similar trajectory.