Cooper Flagg and Masai Ujiri were named to the historic magazine's inaugural list of the world's most significant figures in sports.
This is a completely new era of the Dallas Mavericks.
Of course, it doesn't take long to point at newly-crowned Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg as the one holding the torch, but as we enter the 2026-27 season he's joined by new voices that will officially guide the Mavs into the next phase of the franchise's history.
Notably, Flagg's team - and yes, it's his team though he's still just a tender 19 years of age - is now led by experienced front office executives Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz.
The president and general manager duo will spearhead two major searches for the next-most prominent additions to this new-look organization: the next head coach and a rookie lottery pick to pair with Flagg at the No. 9 pick in this month's NBA Draft.
There are other factors into the Mavs growing optimism around the franchise ahead of next season, too, but with Flagg and Ujiri as pillars of the next era, Dallas is in good hands.
Because of that, TIME Magazine has included the pair in its inaugural Most Influential People in Sports 2026 list.
Flagg, listed under the "innovators" category in the 100-person list that spans all sports worldwide, is billed by sports correspondent Sean Gregory as the next face of professional basketball.
"Cooper Flagg, the rare basketball star who grew up in Maine, had a sensational debut for the Dallas Mavericks, who lucked into the top pick in the 2025 NBA draft and might have found their next superstar," Gregory details.
"Flagg, 19, averaged 21 points per game, the most among rookies this season; since 1973 (when steals became an official statistic), he’s the only rookie besides Michael Jordan to lead his team in total points, rebounds, assists, and steals. He’s the youngest player to score 50 points in an NBA game and the second-youngest Rookie of the Year award winner, behind LeBron James."
Those two names Flagg is mentioned next to are considered the 1A and 1B of the best basketball players in history. That's good company, to say the least.
But Flagg's career is just getting underway. He likely won't be compared to Jordan and James for the entirety of his career. More often, it'll be his infamous predecessor's story in Dallas and the on-court rivals Flagg develops in the Association.
"Perhaps the most well-rounded American prospect since James, Flagg has lived up to the hype–and has softened the blow for Mavericks fans still upset by the unpopular trade of Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers," Gregory adds.
"A basketball battleground is brewing in the Lone Star State. Over the next two decades, Flagg and Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs may be fighting for hoops supremacy."
Wembanyama, also an honoree on TIME's list, helped the Spurs reach the NBA Finals in just his third season. Not only does he possess otherworldly skills that fully came to the forefront of the NBA this season, but he's also flanked by a strong core of young playmakers.
Flagg's Mavs currently have a more veteran-laden lineup, with future Hall of Famers, point guard Kyrie Irving and sharpshooter Klay Thompson, next to experienced role players like P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford, and Naji Marshall.
The intriguing young pieces like Max Christie and Dereck Lively II offer the opportunity to continue building around Flagg's young timeline, along with the incoming rookie.
Ujiri is the one at the controls of putting those pieces together.
Gregory detailed Ujiri - one of the 26 "leaders" in the publication - as one of the NBA's greatest ambassadors for international exposure.
"As the former director of the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders program in Africa and co-founder of Zaria Group, a firm that develops sports infrastructure projects there, Ujiri has been instrumental in expanding sports throughout the continent," Gregory said. "Last year, he was named a United Nations Sustainable Development Goals advocate, giving him a powerful platform to promote global impact through sports."
Ujiri was honest in his introductory press conference in Dallas about accepting the challenge of rebuilding a franchise's identity.
With Flagg, he's got a great head start.
"We have a little prince here. Now we’re going to turn him into a king."
Ujiri and Flagg offer Dallas a unique sense of hope that's just taking shape, and is expected to influence not just the NBA, but all sports very soon.
