Cooper Flagg Reveals How Kyrie Irving Has Helped Him Through Mavericks' Losing Season

The Dallas Mavericks are on pace for their worst season since the 2017-18 campaign, as they sit with a 23-46 record. It has been a long season, but even more so for star rookie Cooper Flagg. He's admitted a few times that he's never lost this much in his life, and he likely doesn't want that to keep up.

A big reason for their losing season is the absence of Kyrie Irving, who tore his ACL over a year ago and decided to take the rest of the year off to fully recover. Without him, the Mavs have really struggled to generate consistent offense, as they haven't had someone who can settle the offense down or create offense on their own.

However, Irving has fully settled into being a veteran leader. Flagg sat down with ESPN's Malika Andrews, where he talked about how important Irving has been as a leader.

︀︀“He stepped in as like a great vet for me and was there giving me guidance because there were definitely times where I was shaken up. I'd never lost that much in my life," Flagg said. "But just to hear him say that and tell me that I'm doing everything I need to be doing and just to stay with it and stay positive, it definitely helped me out a lot.”

Jan 28, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving looks on during the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Kyrie Irving Has Been in Cooper Flagg's Shoes

In Kyrie Irving's rookie year with the Cleveland Cavaliers, they went just 21-45 in a lockout-shortened year. They followed that up with a 24-58 record in his second season. So, Irving knows what it's like to lose as a young star. Having that kind of experience already on the roster is a great helping hand for a player like Flagg, who has dominated at every level of basketball before now.

Irving was helped by LeBron James returning to Cleveland after his 4-year stint with the Miami Heat, but there is no LeBron James returning home in this scenario, unless Luka Doncic comes back in 2028. The Mavs can't count on that, though.

Dallas will have a lottery pick that they can add to the stable this year, and it's a loaded 2026 draft class. They should be able to find a guard that can develop while playing alongside Irving, and when it's time for Irving to step away, that guard can fill in. Or, if they get lucky again, maybe they add another wing like AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson to play alongside Flagg.

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