Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd says Cooper Flagg is on the path to a Hall of Fame career.
Head coach Jason Kidd joined Cooper Flagg at Wednesday's press conference in Dallas that officially announced the Mavericks star as the 2025-26 NBA Rookie of the Year.
Flagg became the third Maverick ever to receive the honor. Most recently, Luka Doncic won the award in 2019. The first to do so was Kidd when he shared it with Grant Hill in 1995.
"That was a long time ago," Kidd laughed as he posed for photos with Flagg and various teammates attending in support.
Flagg edged out former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel to win the award after leading all rookies in scoring with 21 points per game. He set numerous NBA records for a teenager in the process, and doesn't turn 20 until mid-December.
It's safe to say that all Mavs fans are excited to see how the rest of his career pans out, and that includes the head coach himself.
"Well-deserved award," Kidd said. "I think it just sets the tone for his career."
Kidd caught flack for starting the season with Flagg at point guard, a position he had zero experience in, even in college when he and Knueppel reached the Final Four with the Blue Devils.
Although that experiment offered less than desired for the Mavericks offensively, both Flagg and Kidd have referenced how the rookie being thrown in the water helped in his overall development. Despite the Mavs ending the year 26-56, Flagg's growth was obvious.
"He loves competition," Kidd said. "He loves both ends. He’s not one about just offense. He’s about playing the game of basketball. You have to play defense. Taking on the No. 1 defensive player every night … to be able to do what he did is remarkable.
"I think he was being honest when he said he never lost this much," the coach added. "For him, all the great ones go through it. I believe he’s going to be a great one. He carried a heavy load for us this year. He wasn’t afraid of the challenge."
But how great could his career become?
Dan Patrick welcomed the Hall of Fame point guard Kidd onto his show and posed the question: "Would you rather have your career, or Cooper Flagg's career moving forward?
"Oh..." Kidd said, "I'm gonna take Cooper Flagg's career."
"Wait, you're a Hall of Famer!"
The coach responded: "Well, he's going to be one, too. He's special."
