Kingston Flemings Reflects on Facing Cooper Flagg, Kyrie Irving Before NBA Debut

Kingston Flemings shared the floor with Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving on Friday night, when the Atlanta Hawks closed the preseason with a 135-111 win at the Dallas Mavericks.

Flemings, the eighth overall pick in June, came off the bench and had 10 points, 4 rebounds, and a team-high 6 assists in 21 minutes. Both of his field goals, on 6 attempts, were 3-pointers, and he went 4-of-4 at the line.

Flagg led Dallas with 26 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists in 29:48. Irving made five 3-pointers in his first game at American Airlines Center since he tore his ACL 592 days earlier.

Every game has been fun for Flemings, preseason included.

"It's great," Flemings said Monday. "Cooper's actually in my class. He was a 2025 before he reclassed up, so I played him in high school. So I know Coop. I know Coop well."

"But playing Kyrie, obviously I saw him growing up a lot," Flemings explained. "He was in there, by the time we got to the gym, he was already working out. Like early, I think like two or something, before the game started at seven. So, it was crazy to see him, be able to play against him."

Flagg announced in August 2023 that he was reclassifying from the high school class of 2025 to 2024, which made him eligible for the 2025 NBA Draft. Dallas took him first overall that June.

Flagg was born Dec. 21, 2006, 13 days before Flemings.

Flemings stayed in the 2025 class. He played for coach Koty Cowgill at Brennan High School in San Antonio and was named San Antonio Express-News Player of the Year as a sophomore and again as a junior.

He set Brennan's single-season assists record as a freshman in 2021-22. As a junior in 2023-24, he led Brennan to a 31-5 record and the UIL regional semifinals.

He signed with Houston and Kelvin Sampson in November 2024. In his one season there, he scored 594 points, a school record for a freshman.

Atlanta drafted him June 23.

The Dallas game was the last of five preseason games for Flemings.

He started the Oct. 5 opener against the Memphis Grizzlies and the Oct. 12 game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, both with CJ McCollum unavailable.

His best scoring night came Oct. 8 in San Antonio, his hometown. Off the bench, he needed 8 shots for 15 points in a 123-116 win.

Jock Landale, the Hawks' 30-year-old center, has made his job easier, Flemings said last week.

Against Oklahoma City, Flemings finished with 7 assists in 28 minutes.

Dallas finished the preseason 1-3 and opens its season Wednesday at the Houston Rockets.

Atlanta went 4-1. Nickeil Alexander-Walker led the Hawks with 25 points Friday, and Jalen Johnson had 20 points and 14 rebounds.

Flemings makes his NBA regular-season debut Wednesday when the Hawks visit the Orlando Magic. Tip-off at Kia Center is 7 p.m. ET.