"Kicking Myself": Cooper Flagg Issues Dramatic Statement From Locker Room After Winless Start to NBA Career Extends

After a quiet NBA debut, Cooper Flagg showed flashes of his prodigious talent on Friday. The former Duke phenom dropped 18 points, but despite his well-rounded performance, the Mavericks suffered their second successive defeat to start their season. The Washington Wizards came to Dallas and handed Jason Kidd's team a 117-107 reality check.

The loss came just two days after the Mavericks were humbled by Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs. Flagg was visibly frustrated after Friday's loss as the wait for the first NBA win extended further. The rookie candidly spoke about the vibe inside the Mavericks' locker room and didn't shy away from voicing his frustration with back-to-back defeats.

"I don’t think it was great," Flagg said of the video in the locker room. "I know I’m kicking myself. And I’m obviously not happy. I’m a little upset. I’m a competitor. I want to win as many games as possible. So it’s not a great start. But we got a lot of stuff to look at and a lot to improve."

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The Dallas Mavericks shot themselves in the foot after starting the game in a belligerent manner. Cooper Flagg had a strong first-quarter performance and helped Dallas build a 14-point lead in the opening period. The Mavericks unravelled quickly after that and couldn't withstand the punches thrown by the Wizards.

The Mavericks squandered a 14-point lead and allowed Washington to surge ahead by 16 after halftime. Flagg tried to rally his team with an 11-point outburst in the fourth quarter, but his valiant effort ultimately fell short.

Cooper Flagg's response to "Fire Nico" chants

The crowd inside the American Airlines Arena voiced their frustration after the Dallas Mavericks lost at home again. Chants of "Fire Nico" echoed in the building, with general manager Nico Harrison once again catching stray. Cooper Flag was asked about his perspective on "Fire Nico" chants, and the rookie kept his focus on the main thing.

"I’m just locked in on the game, like I said, I didn’t even hear those," Flagg said. "I’m listening to coach, listening to guys on the team, the vets…I try to tune all that stuff out."

Meanwhile, Flagg played 35 minutes on the night and scored 18 points on 6 of 14 shooting. He also recorded five rebounds, six assists, one steal and one block. Flagg will next suit up against on Sunday when the Mavericks cross swords against the Toronto Raptors.

Edited by Atishay Jain