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Mavericks Fans Modify 'Star-Spangled Banner' Tradition to Salute Rookie Cooper Flagg
The Cooper Flagg era has officially begun in Dallas. Ahead of the newest No. 1 pick's debut for the Mavericks at home against the Spurs Wednesday, the fans inside American Airlines Center had a special tip of the cap prepared for their new star.
During "The Star-Spangled Banner" ahead of the game, Mavs fans yell the word "stars" as a nod to the NHL's Stars, with whom they share a building. On Wednesday, they yelled "flag" as well as a perfect salute for their own Flagg—who was on the verge of beginning his NBA career. Check out the cool moment below, pointed out by Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News:
It’s a tradition at American Airlines Center for fans to yell “Stars” during the Star Spangled Banner to acknowledge the Dallas Stars.
— Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) October 23, 2025
Ahead of tonight’s opener, they added one more wrinkle to that tradition. The yelled “Flag” to acknowledge #Mavs rookie Cooper Flagg. pic.twitter.com/9AJcrQtsqR
Flagg arrived in Dallas after the Mavs saw incredible luck to win the NBA draft lottery, entering with only a 1.8% chance to walk away with the top pick. Winning the Flagg sweepstakes was a breath of fresh air after a season smeared by the jaw-dropping Luka Dončić trade that sent the longtime fan favorite to the Lakers.
The arrival of the forward marks a new era in Dallas as he stars alongside forward Anthony Davis and eventually guard Kyrie Irving once he returns from a torn ACL that he suffered in March. On the floor, Flagg was held scoreless in the first half of his debut against the Spurs. He grabbed six rebounds, though, and nearly threw down an alley-oop from Davis for an awesome first bucket.
Even if the 18-year-old Duke product needs some time to adjust to the next level, he already has the whole fanbase behind him.
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Blake Silverman is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, he covered the WNBA, NBA, G League and college basketball for numerous sites, including Winsidr, SB Nation's Detroit Bad Boys and A10Talk. He graduated from Michigan State University before receiving a master's in sports journalism from St. Bonaventure University. Outside of work, he's probably binging the latest Netflix documentary, at a yoga studio or enjoying everything Detroit sports. A lifelong Michigander, he lives in suburban Detroit with his wife, young son and their personal petting zoo of two cats and a dog.