Cooper Flagg has Mutual Respect with Orlando Magic Star

The Orlando Magic are digesting their first taste of Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg, who played his first NBA game against the franchise.

The Magic pulled out a 115-114 victory against Flagg's Mavs, but the rookie flexed his muscles while playing at the Kia Center for the first time. Flagg scored 18 points in 26 minutes, which went slightly above the minutes restriction that head coach Jason Kidd mentioned prior to the game. Flagg played his first game in nearly a month after a foot injury, but he felt good playing in central Florida for the first time since high school.

Flagg attended the highly esteemed Montverde Academy, which has become a mecca for high school hoops in the country. Its alumni include former top picks Ben Simmons and Cade Cunningham, as well as All-Stars Joel Embiid, Scottie Barnes and Jalen Duren, among others. Flagg spoke postgame about his return to Orlando, which is about 30 minutes away from Montverde Academy.

“I was right around Orlando for two years of high school, so it was great. It is a great area. I saw
a lot of fans with my jersey in the crowd tonight. It was pretty cool just to kind of be back here
and have that vibe," Flagg said.

Cooper Flagg Makes Return vs. Magic

Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg looks on against the Orlando Magic. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Flagg went to Duke after graduating from Montverde in 2024, much like Magic star Paolo Banchero, who was praised by the Mavericks forward after the game.

“It was good. He is a tough guy. Really skilled... getting to his spots. Huge body obviously,
dynamic. He is a great player. He impacts the game in a lot of ways as well. I played against
Paolo a little bit in pickup and stuff, you know, back in school, so it was cool to kind of go up
against him in the real deal in the league. So, it was pretty cool," Flagg said of Banchero.

Flagg and Banchero have had a similar trajectory to get where they are in the league, so it's almost as if watching the Rookie of the Year candidate is like watching a slightly alternate timeline.

Flagg may have a higher ceiling as someone who is a few years younger than Banchero, but the two have similar play styles and will continue to be compared to one another throughout their career. Luckily for Banchero, he started off their war against one another with a big win.