NEW YORK — Scattered throughout the Villard Ballroom at the Lotte Palace Hotel in Manhattan were two dozen NBA draft prospects, fielding questions ahead of the biggest day of their lives.
Podium No. 8, located on the far right side of the room, had the most microphones and camera equipment directly in front of it. A bevy of reporters waited for the college phenom who should hear his name called first by commissioner Adam Silver on Wednesday night.
As soon as Cooper Flagg arrived, the flood of questions began. Flagg’s 17.5-minute pre-draft news conference broached various topics, but the Duke freshman who could find himself wearing a Mavericks cap Wednesday wanted to remain present.
“No matter what happens tomorrow night, for me it’s about being grateful and enjoying the moment,” Flagg said.
The Mavericks haven’t told Flagg he’ll be selected with the first pick, he said, but that didn’t stop reporters from asking questions about the franchise, his reaction to the Luka Doncic trade and his lone pre-draft visit to Dallas.
The Mavericks are in a position to add Flagg to a corps of veterans that includes former No. 1 picks Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, along with sharpshooter Klay Thompson. It’s an unusual position for a player like Flagg, who’s heralded as a generational talent for his two-way versatility and high-level IQ.
Flagg briefly allowed himself to visualize the possibility of joining a competitive roster, before snapping back to his coy disposition.
“To be on a team surrounded by a ton of incredible players and people that have had careers like they have, I think it would be a really great experience if that does happen,” he said.
Twenty minutes before Flagg appeared at the podium, Connecticut freshman Liam McNeeley conducted his pre-draft availability on the other side of the room. The 6-7 forward from Richardson detailed the experience of going through the draft process with his former teammate at Montverde Academy in Florida.
“That’s my brother,” McNeeley said of Flagg. “We played two years together. We stayed connected. Been to a bunch of camps and all-star games together. … It’s an amazing experience and feeling to see them go through this process as well as me.”
McNeeley inserted himself into Flagg’s media session Wednesday for a brief change in direction from questions about the NBA and his transition from college.
“Do you like lobster?” he asked Flagg.
That should’ve been an easy one for the Newport, Maine, native, right? Flagg surprisingly admitted he wasn’t the biggest fan before a reporter asked about his relationship with his former teammate.
“What do I think of Liam McNeeley?” Flagg repeated. “He’s all right. I miss playing with him a lot. He’s one of the best players.”
Liam McNeeley, Richardson native & a teammate of Cooper Flagg during their time at Montverde, asks his good friend if he likes lobster:
— Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) June 24, 2025
“Lobster isn’t my personal favorite, but a good Maine lobster roll…my trainer’s wife makes a really nice lobster roll I think is really good.” pic.twitter.com/Rp6r0xLJR2
Tre Johnson, who played at Lake Highlands, was seated at podium No. 6. The Texas product shared stories about going through the draft process with McNeeley, a childhood teammate.
“Liam’s always been taller than me my whole life, that’s one thing,” Johnson said. “Especially when I was younger. I didn’t like playing against him in practice. … We used to always work out together. I feel like having him in the workout and also being with somebody with high talent level and somebody you know that knows your moves has been great for me.”
During Flagg’s visit to Johnson and McNeeley’s home state last week, Flagg met several Mavericks players who could become his new teammates. The trip included a standard workout and a dinner with Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison, head coach Jason Kidd and others.
“It was an incredible visit for me,” Flagg said. “I got to go down there and see all the facilities. I got in the gym and I got a good hour-and-15-minute workout in. A bunch of rebounders, staff, coaches and the players were guarding me so to get some live reads was really good to see. I got to see some of the players work out and see what they do.”
The 18-year-old appeared prepared to meet the moment of realizing his NBA dream. Asked about his maturity level, Flagg said he wanted to grow up fast, a factor in his decision to reclassify from the 2025 to 2024 class to surround himself with stiffer competition.
“A quote my mom likes to say a lot: ‘If you’re the best player in the gym, then you need to find a new gym,” he said.
No matter what happens Wednesday, one thing is certain. Flagg’s next gym will be occupied by some of the best basketball players in the world — including himself.
X/Twitter: @MikeACurtis2
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