By Will Despart
The Sporting Tribune
LAS VEGAS — Some Wooden Award winners enter the league with a hype train behind them. Others have to grind out a roster spot, hoping their collegiate skill set will transfer to the next level.
Few recipients, however, have entered the league with as much fanfare as 2025 winner Cooper Flagg. His professional debut at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas on Thursday was proof, as lower bowl tickets sold for record prices as high as $650 and courtside seats for $2,000. You could have attended an NBA Finals game this year for a cheaper price.
Flagg looked immediately comfortable in all aspects of his game besides his shooting, which suffered drastically. An inefficient 3-of-9 start from the field snowballed down the stretch, as the No. 1 overall pick finished his Summer League debut with 10 points while shooting just 5 of 21 from the field.
His performance on Thursday may not have been what he was hoping for, but it was still a significant moment in the 18-year-old’s already impressive basketball career. If anything, perhaps you could attribute Flagg’s shooting woes to debut jitters.
“I was excited, Flagg said. “A little nervous because it’s a new environment. I’m just happy to be here, you know, it’s a dream come true and I’m just trying to enjoy the moment.
The differences in the professional game quickly became apparent to Flagg in his debut, but he’s not too concerned about his ability to adapt as he settles into his NBA career.
“It’s just a different game. Different spacing, different guys. A lot of guys are in different parts of their careers, coming from different angles, different parts of their life. It’s just trying to mesh that all together, you know, figure out what works and what doesn’t
I think it’s obviously very different from college. (Summer League) is probably very different from what the real NBA is going to be like, too. So, I’m just trying to find the rhythm and figure it out. I’m not necessarily worried, but I’m obviously just not happy with how it went.”
Flagg is the first Wooden Award winner to be selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft since fellow Dukie Zion Williamson entered the league to similar hype and anticipation. Flagg’s new teammate Anthony Davis (Kentucky), Blake Griffin (Oklahoma) and Andrew Bogut (Utah) are the three other Wooden Award winners who have been selected first overall within the last 25 years.
Larry Johnson, the 1991 recipient and top draft pick, played his collegiate career with UNLV in the very same gym Flagg debuted in last night at the Thomas & Mack Center. Tim Duncan is also in this club, having entered the league as the first overall pick after winning the Wooden Award in 1997.
Flagg will likely play one more Summer League game before being shut down for the rest of the event. The Mavericks are set to play the San Antonio Spurs at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, although San Antonio’s No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper’s status is uncertain as he’s been dealing with a groin injury.