Dallas Mavericks’ No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg made NBA history on Monday against the Utah Jazz.
The 18-year-old became the youngest player ever to score 40 or more points in a game, surpassing LeBron James’ record set over two decades ago with the Cleveland Cavaliers. James did it a few months after he turned 19.
While it came in a losing effort against the Jazz, Flagg played the best game of his young career, going 13-for-25 from the field and leading the Mavericks to a close finish in a game they would have otherwise been trampled.
For Flagg, it’s a historic moment for the teenager from Maine, who reclassified from high school early so he could enroll at Duke and take the quickest path to the NBA possible. He led the Blue Devils to one of their strongest teams of the 21st Century before falling in a heartbreaking loss to Houston in the Final Four.
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As a franchise, Dallas has been reeling since trading away homegrown superstar Luka Doncic to the Lakers in one of the most shocking trades in sports history earlier this year. Winning the draft lottery and the subsequent selection of Flagg have helped bring some optimism back to an organization that has desperately needed it.
The Mavericks recently fired the man behind the Doncic, Nico Harrison, in an attempt to win back a betrayed fanbase.
Although a loss to the Jazz won’t turn things around, the historic night for Flagg is a sign that the future might be bright in Dallas afterall. Flagg turns 19 on Dec. 21, nine days before the birthday of the 40-point record he just broke in James.
