Former Dallas Mavericks Coach Compares Cooper Flagg’s Career Trajectory to LeBron James, But There’s a Caveat

Former Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd strongly believes Cooper Flagg is on his way to greatness after having coached him last season. After winning the NBA's Rookie of the Year award in April, Flagg enters the 2026-27 campaign with high expectations.

The 19-year-old swingman averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 steals on 46.8 percent shooting from the field across 70 regular-season appearances for the Dallas Mavericks. During a recent interview with ALL-STAR Magazine, Kidd used LeBron James as Flagg's reference point.

"I think he's on pace when you talk about LeBron and what he did as a young player, and then also Cooper's ability," Kidd said of Flagg. "He's one that loves to win, wants to win, likes to work, is not afraid of the moment. We saw at Duke taking a game-winning shot and missing. He's not afraid of the moment. So I would say he is on pace. I think that's his comp."

"Now, can he stay healthy like LeBron? And then I think all greats are judged with championships. Not so much stats, but that's the one stat that will stand out, and hopefully Cooper can achieve that," he continued.

Dallas Mavericks News: Cooper Flagg named NBA's best 19-year-old

The Dallas Mavericks may have won only 26 regular-season games last season, but Cooper Flagg was a bright spot for the team. As his former coach Jason Kidd mentioned, the sky is the limit for Flagg.

In a recent Bleacher Report article by Andy Bailey, Flagg was named the NBA's best 19-year-old, as the Dallas Mavericks swingman beat out the likes of incoming rookies AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cameron Boozer.

"His developmental arrow is already darn-near vertical. As a rookie, he averaged 18.8 points and 4.1 assists in his first 43 games. And from that point to the end of the campaign, he was at 24.7 points and 5.1 assists." Bailey said of Flagg.

"Flagg may have to cede some touches to Kyrie Irving this season, but his return will also divert some defensive attention away from him too. And that could help Flagg maintain the kind of production he had at the end of 2025-26," he continued. "As promising as the trio below is, they won't consistently reach those heights as rookies.