Cooper Flagg Just Shattered a LeBron James Record, So Naturally the Mavericks Choked
Let’s be honest for a second: if you’re a Dallas Mavericks fan right now, you probably don’t know whether to pop champagne or throw your remote through the TV screen. It’s a weird vibe in Dallas. On one hand, you have the literal second coming of basketball greatness wearing your jersey. On the other hand, the team seems allergic to winning basketball games.
Tuesday night was the perfect encapsulation of this chaotic, confusing, and downright frustrating season. Cooper Flagg, the 18-year-old prodigy who has had more hype placed on his shoulders than arguably anyone since The King himself, went out and did the unthinkable. He didn’t just play well; he decimated the record books. But because this is the 2025 Mavericks we are talking about, the night ended with an “L” in the column against the Utah Jazz. You almost have to laugh to keep from crying.
Flagg is Putting up Video Game Numbers
Let’s talk about what actually happened on the hardwood before we get into the depressing team stats. Flagg dropped 42 points. Read that again. Forty-two. He is eighteen years old. Most kids his age are struggling to figure out their college class schedule or learning how to do laundry without shrinking their favorite hoodie. Flagg is out here casually torching NBA defenses.
In doing so, Flagg broke a record that has stood for over two decades. The previous record holder for the most points scored by an 18-year-old rookie? LeBron James. Yeah, that guy. LeBron put up 37 points way back in 2003 with the Cavaliers. It was one of those “unbreakable” records that people thought would stand forever because, frankly, 18-year-olds aren’t supposed to be this good. They are supposed to be raw, skinny, and confused.
Flagg looked like none of those things. He played 42 minutes, grabbed seven boards, dished seven assists, and shot the lights out. He was efficient, he was aggressive, and he looked every bit the franchise savior he was promised to be. Watching him operate was like watching a veteran in a rookie’s body. He saw gaps in the Jazz defense that seasoned pros miss. He took advantage of every inch of space. It was a masterclass.
The Mavericks are Wasting a Historic Rookie Season
And yet, here we are, talking about a loss. The Mavericks fell to the Utah Jazz 140-133 in overtime. Scoring 133 points should be enough to win an NBA game, folks. It really should. But the Mavs’ defense apparently decided to take the night off, allowing the Jazz—a team that isn’t exactly the 1996 Bulls—to hang 140 on them.
This brings Dallas to a pitiful 10-17 record. We are talking about a team that entered the season with championship aspirations. Now? They are looking up at the Play-In tournament spots like they are climbing Everest. It is a disaster. It’s the “season from hell,” and it feels like Flagg is the only one bringing a fire extinguisher.
It is genuinely painful to watch a performance like that go to waste. You have a rookie doing things that haven’t been seen since the early 2000s, and the supporting cast can’t hold it together long enough to secure a W. P.J. Washington said he wasn’t surprised by Flagg’s performance, noting, “I know exactly what he’s capable of.” That’s great, P.J., but maybe the rest of the squad could help him out a little? Just a thought.
A Mentality that Separates Flagg From the Rest
Here is the part that should actually give fans hope, though. It’s not the 42 points. It’s what Flagg said afterward.
In the modern NBA, we are used to players chasing stats. We see guys celebrating triple-doubles in blowout losses. Not Flagg. When reporters asked him about breaking LeBron’s record—a monumental personal achievement—he basically shrugged it off. He didn’t want to hear it.
“Obviously, it’s tough,” Flagg said. “I mean, I want to look at it, wins and losses. Obviously, we didn’t win, so that was tough. It’s tough for me to want to be happy or any of that.”
That is the quote of a winner. That is the mentality you build a dynasty around. He wasn’t posturing for Instagram highlights; he was pissed off that they lost. He even credited his teammates for “putting me in the right positions,” which is hilarious because his teammates didn’t do nearly enough to help him win the game.
Jason Kidd noted that the more time Flagg spends on the floor, the better he gets. That is terrifying for the rest of the league, but it’s also a lifeline for Kidd, whose seat has to be getting warm with this 10-17 start.
Can Dallas Turn it Around?
The reality is, Cooper Flagg is everything he was advertised to be and then some. He is generational. He is efficient. He has the clutch gene and the humble mindset to back it up. But basketball is a team sport, and right now, the Dallas Mavericks are failing their young star.
If they can figure out how to play a lick of defense and stop wasting these historic nights, the future is blindingly bright. If not? Well, at least it’ll be fun watching Flagg break records while the ship goes down.
