Mavs' Cooper Flagg Says He's Grown An Inch, Is Now 6-foot-10 Without Shoes

Last year, Cooper Flagg became the NBA's youngest No. 1 overall pick since LeBron James in 2003. This year, while starring for the Dallas Mavericks, the do-it-all forward established himself as the youngest player in league history to post a 50-point game. Two days later, he put up 45 against James.

Flagg, the 2025-26 NBA Rookie of the Year, is still only 19 years old. He's going to grow with the Mavericks. It turns out that maturation isn't limited to his play on the court or even his development as a leader and person.

Flagg told reporters Friday at Mavs media day that he literally grew over the past year. Listed at 6-foot-9 ahead of last season, Flagg said he's now 6-10 without shoes.

That makes him an even more imposing threat on the hardwood. Flagg could already put on a show with thundering dunks and head-turning blocks.

The Duke product averaged 21 points as a rookie while also posting 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. Although he'll aim to increase the 29.5% clip he recorded from beyond the arc, he finished his 70-game campaign with a solid 46.8% field-goal percentage.

Then-head coach Jason Kidd threw Flagg into the fire in Year 1. Kidd, a former Mavericks point guard himself, put the ball in Flagg's hands from the get-go. Flagg worked out the inevitable kinks and eventually came into his own as the season progressed.

Now under the direction of new president Masai Ujiri, new general manager Mike Schmitz and new head coach Dusty May, the Mavericks have, in Ujiri's words from this spring, "a clean slate to go forward."

They're molding the team around Flagg and 34-year-old guard Kyrie Irving, who is coming off ACL surgery.

Irving spoke glowingly about Flagg on Friday, expressing that it's "very easy" for them to jell on the floor together.

"He deserves a lot of the praise he's gotten because he's carried a lot, and I commend him for that, respect him even more as a younger person for that," Irving said of Flagg, who was the centerpiece of a 26-win Mavs squad last season.

"He's wise beyond his years, but I also have to remind him how old he is. He walks into a room, [and] he's definitely an old soul, but some of his attributes that I think attribute to success is his ability to come in to any environment, and the possessions that he's on the floor, he's making a difference. And when you're doing that at the best league in the world, you're going to get a nod of respect from everybody."

Irving later added: "He's the young fellow of this team, and he's going to lead his franchise into the future. You can definitely bank on that."

May, whom Dallas hired after he led Michigan to its first national championship since 1989, acknowledged the expectations facing Flagg.

"I'm amazed when you look at how productive he is as a 19-year-old in this league with the weight that was put on him last year, as far as seeing different defenses and being a focal point," May said.

"We're excited to help him on his journey and grow at whatever rate he grows at. He puts in the work, he's very intelligent, he's a great teammate, and all those things typically lead toward a rapid ascension to being one of the best players. But right now, it really is dependent upon his teammates and all of those around him. I think all of our success is more dependent on who's to the left and who's to the right than we probably realize it at the time."

With more help, Flagg could make an even bigger leap this season, maybe not up the measuring stick but certainly in his evolution as an NBA difference-maker.