Forget Doncic! Flag effect makes Mavericks fans and management smile like flowers

They began to feel the same way when Flag and his family walked out of the conference center on the night of the draft draw.

Two Duke players are already on the roster, Irving and center Derek Lively II, who are first-round picks in the 2023 draft. Shortly after, Scheyer told Flagg that centers Khaman Maluach and Lively were the two of the best men he had coached. Flag had played alongside Maluach during his freshman season at Duke; now he may be playing alongside Lively in his first NBA season in Dallas. "Enjoy!" "Sheer told him.

They thought Flag could learn from players who won the championship, such as Irving, Davis, and the retired Dallas legend Dirk Nowitzki they hoped.

"He wouldn't think he already knew all the answers," Scheyer said. "He would learn from Carey, he would learn from Davis. He will learn from Derek Lively and Jason Kidd and his staff. He came here to study, and I think that's one of his special features.

Like many, the Flag family has been paying attention to the strong opposition from Mavericks fans after Doncic was suddenly traded to the Los Angeles Lakers last season. The Flag family witnessed the burning of jerseys, mock funerals, and protests.

Mavericks fans' reaction to them, it represents a force a bond with the organization even if it is already severely nervous.

"They are a very enthusiastic fan base," Ralph said. "I think from what we understand and what we see on social media, they're ready to embrace Cooper completely.

"Dallas has been lucky for years," Scheyer said. "They are able to watch Dirk, Luka — so many winning teams. Now, Cooper has someone who I think will carry forward this tradition.

Flag's influence on the Mavericks was immediate, first of all, the team's bottom line.

"It's amazing that we renewed 75-80% of the season tickets," said a Mavericks source. “But we still have a lot of work to do to win back the confidence and fan base of a considerable number of people in our fan base.

“We sold $8 million in the new season tickets within three days of the draw. ”

Sources said that a company considering a sponsorship partnership with the Mavericks suspended the deal after a strong backlash from the Doncic deal. Then, after seeing the positive reactions from the lottery and fans, the same company reached a new sponsorship agreement with the team.

"We have completed two other new sponsorship deals, one of which is the second largest in our history, since the lottery is lucky," said the Mavericks source. After the draw, Flag romped around the country, working out with Mackenzie at a gym in West Lake Village, about an hour west of Los Angeles. Flag headed to North Carolina to visit his brother who graduated from high school and then headed north to Maine to visit him at Nokomis The former classmate of the school graduated from high school. The Flaggs had booked an Airbnb in Las Vegas to watch him during the summer league. While Flagg's hometown of Newport, Maine, is organizing a draft party, Flagg had a brief solace from the noise and focus of the TV cameras before returning to New York to participate in the draft, where Flagg continued to work out. Recently, the family went to a Hugo Boss store in Los Angeles to have Flagg try on suits on draft night. The severity of the moment—and what happened next, his NBA The journey begins – it has settled for those around him. They all looked at each other, unable to believe that everything was flying so fast.

"He was in a good mental state," Mackenzie said. "He was in good physical condition and I think he was ready for the next chapter of his career. ”