Lots of people were looking forward to Cooper Flagg’s first NBA game at the TD Garden in Boston on Friday night — Flagg included.
And did the experience live up to the expectations? For sure, Flagg said after the game.
That had a lot to do with the Maine fans who poured into the stadium to support the kid from Newport, who has morphed into one of the NBA’s rising stars.
“Just to have that experience, it was really cool,” Flagg said about playing in the stadium he used to visit as a fan when he was a kid. “The energy was incredible.”
You can watch most of Flagg’s postgame press conference here, including his response to a Bangor Daily News question about the young Maine fans in attendance on Friday who Flagg has been inspiring.
“That’s incredible,” Flagg said. “I remember being a little kid and looking up to guys and stuff like that. So it’s incredible to have that type of impact. And that’s one of the main reasons why I’m able to do what I do and I’m able to stay motivated, is for stuff like that and inspiring the next generation.”
Flagg grew up as a Celtics fan in Maine, and this trip to the Garden as a player added a new element for the 19-year-old forward.
“It was definitely a different feeling.It was really special,” Flagg said after the Mavericks lost to the Celtics 120-100 on Friday night. “I’ve said it a lot, obviously just being in a place that I was able to come to as a kid. It was a different experience, for sure.”
And Flagg’s New England return was just one of the things that made Friday different in Boston. It was also the first game back for Celtics star Jason Tatum, who had been recovering from a serious achilles injury suffered in last season’s playoffs.
Tatum, who like Flagg played one year of college basketball at Duke University, has long been one of Flagg’s idols and has become a sort of mentor to the NBA rookie.
“There’s so many levels to it,” Flagg said about his connection with Tatum. “He’s somebody that I idolized growing up, and watched him go through the levels and ranks.”
The two shared a moment together after the game, and Flagg spoke about Tatum’s influence in the postgame press conference. Flagg also fielded a question about the breaking news this week that Tatum would return to the court.
“I found out probably the same time as everybody else, when they announced it,” Flagg explained. “I guess I saw it on social media. So I just found out he was playing and just locked in on the game plan. Obviously he’s an incredible player, so he’s somebody that you have to prepare for and get ready for.”
Tatum notched a double-double in his return for the Celtics with 15 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. Flagg put up 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists in just his second game for the Mavs after dealing with a foot sprain for several weeks.
With so much going on at once on Friday, Flagg tried to give himself a chance to appreciate it all.
“I tried to take a moment to take a deep breath and take it all in,” Flagg said. “It’s a dream come true, just being out there on that court, competing and playing at a high level.”