DALLAS — Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg both said Friday that playing together will come easy, and Irving said fans will see some of their possessions when Dallas opens the preseason in Macao. The two spoke at Dallas Mavericks media day at American Airlines Center, the day before training camp opens.
Flagg won Rookie of the Year after averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 70 starts. Dallas drafted him first overall in June 2025, more than three months after Irving tore the ACL in his left knee March 3, 2025, and the two have never played together in a regular-season game.
Irving made his ninth All-Star team in 2025, weeks before the injury. He averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.3 steals in 50 games that season, shooting 47.3% from the field and 40.1% from 3-point range in 36.1 minutes a night.
Irving turns 35 in March, and Flagg turns 20 in December. Irving pointed out that the age gap does not matter when high-level players share the floor, and he called Flagg the player who will lead the franchise going forward. Dallas plays the Houston Rockets at The Venetian Arena in Macao on Oct. 9 and Oct. 11.
“So he’s a great human, still getting to know him, but he’s a young fellow to his team, and he’s going to lead this franchise into the future,” Irving said. “You can definitely bank on that. And this is somebody that, being on the court with, you guys will see some of the possessions out there in Macao. It’s very easy for us. It’s very easy for us. High-level basketball players, no matter the age, you put us out there, we’re going to win some ballgames. So I’m looking forward to the opportunity to grow with him and look forward to seeing him grow.”
Cooper Flagg On Playing With Kyrie Irving
Irving’s personality is as big a part of their fit as his talent, according to Flagg. He also credited their summer workouts together for building chemistry before they have played a game side by side.
“Ky’s one of those guys, playing alongside him, I feel like he just makes it easy to play with him,” Flagg said. “Obviously, he’s one of the greats of our game and he’s an incredible talent. But I think that combined with his personality makes it really easy to fit next to and play with. And I think the time that we’ve been able to spend in the summer on the court together has been really good for both of us to kind of build that connection.”
“So I’m really excited,” Flagg continued. “I think it’s gonna be really fun to be able to share the court. Obviously having somebody like that down the court with you at all times is gonna be amazing.”
Mavericks president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri noted that the Irving-Flagg pairing stood out to him when he took the job May 4. He is still waiting to see how the two fit with the rest of the roster and May’s coaching staff.
“And I said it when I took the job here, the uniqueness of seeing what Kyrie, Cooper, that combination could do with all the players we have, with Dusty,” Ujiri said. “Yeah, I’m curious to see what that looks like.”
Kyrie Irving On Cooper Flagg’s Rookie Season
Flagg earned the praise he got as a rookie because of how much he had to carry, Irving explained. Flagg led the Mavericks in points, rebounds, assists, and steals, shooting 46.8% from the field and 29.5% from 3-point range for a team that finished 26-56.
“He deserves a lot of the praise he’s gotten because he’s carried a lot,” Irving explained. “And I commend him for that. Respect him even more as a younger person for that. He’s wise beyond his years, but I also have to remind him how old he is. He walks into a room, 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.”
“So for me as a peer, but also as a brother, I look at him as someone that has a world of potential, but also still needs a lot of guidance, just like we all do in basketball, a lot of teaching, a lot of knowledge being passed,” Irving continued. “And your talent only gets you so far, but being remembered for your work ethic and how you treated people, and also that championship mindset you came in with every day, that’s what people hold on to.”
Irving described sitting out last season as a lesson in patience while Dallas leaned on young players like Flagg. He spent the year on the bench, arriving later than usual on game nights and watching from different vantage points to figure out how to lead from there.
“I really wanted to be on the court, but I still had to learn what patience felt like,” Irving said. “And giving my teammates grace, we had a lot of young guys, including Cooper, that have a world of talent, but need that guidance, need that leadership. And I feel like I tried to fill in that void as much as possible. But now as we sit here and we have our team set, we have our coaching staff set, really confident that we’re gonna be able to do great things.”
The regular season opens Oct. 21 at Houston, with tip-off at 7:30 p.m. CT. The Mavericks’ home opener is Oct. 24 against the San Antonio Spurs at American Airlines Center.
