Cooper Flagg Praises Jayson Tatum After 1st NBA Matchup, 'Someone I Idolized Growing Up'

Dallas Mavericks star rookie Cooper Flagg discussed the importance of playing against Jayson Tatum following the Mavs' 120-100 loss to the Boston Celtics on Friday.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Flagg noted that he has modeled his game after Tatum, and he referred to the six-time All-Star as one of his idols.

"It's incredible," Flagg said. "There are so many levels to it. [Tatum] is someone I idolized growing up. Watched him go through levels and ranks. Watched him at Duke. Kind of followed in his footsteps. … It's really special just for me to have this experience tonight."

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Tatum is 28 years old and seemingly has a lot of basketball ahead of him, so while it may seem odd for another NBA player to have idolized him as a kid, the math checks out for Flagg, who is nine years Tatum's junior at just 19.

Like Tatum, Flagg starred at Duke for one season before going pro. He went first overall to the Mavs this year, while Tatum went third overall to the Celtics in 2017.

Tatum went on to become a five-time All-NBA selection and one-time NBA champion, and now Flagg is looking to follow in his footsteps in that regard as well.

Flagg is off to a fantastic start as the NBA Rookie of the Year frontrunner, averaging 20.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 three-pointer made per game.

He recently missed eight games due to a foot injury, but Flagg returned to play in each of the past two games, and he finished Friday's contest with 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

As for Tatum, Friday marked his first game in 10 months after tearing his Achilles during the playoffs last season.

Given the severity of the injury and the long layoff, Tatum performed well against Dallas, recording 15 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists.

His return provides a massive boost to a Celtics team that was exceeding expectations without him, as they are second in the Eastern Conference with a 42-21 record.

Things have not come as easily for the Mavs, as they are 12th in the Western Conference with a 21-42 mark, but their future is undoubtedly bright with Flagg leading the way.