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Stephen A. Smith cites Cooper Flagg's race as major reason for Mavericks to draft him: 'We're talking about Texas'

Brian Jones Profile Picby:Brian Jones•about 19 hours•

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Stephen A Smith Cooper Flagg
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images// Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Stephen A Smith did not hold back when talking about why the Dallas Mavericks will select Cooper Flagg in the 2025 NBA Draft. On ESPN’s First Take, Smith said race will play a big role in Dallas taking the former Duke Blue Devils star.

“When you got somebody with that kind of potential and they’re white and you are in America, you keep that dude,” Stephen A Smith said. “If I’m the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, I ain’t thinking about drafting somebody else. I am not thinking about moving Cooper Flagg. I’m grabbing Cooper Flagg. He’s the No. 1 overall pick.”

Smith also said that Flagg “can play” and “he’s a special talent.” The ESPN personality added another reason he believes the Mavericks will not pass on Flagg.

“We’re talking about Texas,” Smith said. “That’s Jerry Jones right there. … Texas is different. And in Dallas, Texas, if you got an opportunity to take Cooper Flagg, you take Cooper Flagg.”

Cooper Flagg reacts to potentially being drafted by the Mavericks

The Mavericks won the draft lottery on Monday, giving them the right to select Flagg. This is big for the franchise as they surprisingly traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in February.

Former Mavericks guard Rolando Blackman was in Chicago, representing the team at the lottery, and to say he was excited about getting the No. 1 pick is an understatement. “You’re talking about goosebumps that were coming off my skin and also what our organization can do with this whole thing, too,” Blackman said, per the Mavericks’ official website.

“The Mavericks can exude positivity and growth and development not only for our fans, but also for our business community, and also for our team and our staff. I think this is just a wonderful opportunity to know that great things can happen once again.”

Cooper Flagg spoke to ESPN after the draft lottery and talked about potentially being the top pick. “For me, I didn’t try to think about it too much. I thought it was kind of out of my control,” Flagg said.

“So, I’m just kind of going through the process like everybody else and just trying to enjoy every single moment, because you only get to do this once. This entire experience for me has been amazing, so going forward I’m just going to look forward to being a two-way player.”