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"A dream come true" - Cooper Flagg reflects on facing idol Jayson Tatum in surreal TD Garden homecoming
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- "A dream come true" - Cooper Flagg reflects on facing idol Jayson Tatum in surreal TD Garden homecoming
It was a special night for the Boston Celtics , with Jayson Tatum making his return from an Achilles injury after 298 days. Possibly, a record time in terms of recovering from such a catastrophic injury, after which Tatum indeed deserves credit for being hands-on in his rehab.
Hosting the Dallas Mavericks at the TD Garden, Tatum had one of his biggest fans and admirers, Cooper Flagg , in attendance, ready to compete against his idol. Apart from sharing a common Duke connection, The Maine Event grew up watching Tatum and the Celtics, making it a memorable moment for him.
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"It's incredible, there's so many levels to it. He's somebody I idolized growing up … Watched him at Duke and have been following his footsteps … It's surreal. It's really special just for me to have this experience tonight," Cooper told reporters post-game.
Unfortunately for the Mavericks, their young star had a rather disappointing night at the Garden, going 7-for-23 from the field against the Celtics. At the same time, Dallas has now lost six straight and is 20+ games below .500.
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Modeling his game after Tatum
Apart from their Duke connection, Coop and JT share some other commonalities, including a similar physical archetype at 6'8 "/6'9". The two elite wingmen can score from all three levels, rebound and run plays as well. While Tatum missed out on the Rookie of the Year award to Ben Simmons in 2018, Flagg currently stands as the top favorite to win the award.
Talking about mirroring his game, Cooper had mentioned on draft night that he looked forward to facing the Celtics star.
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"Maybe, Jayson Tatum ," Flagg told SportsCenter's Scott Van Pelt (SVP) when asked who that player was he grew up having posters of and was now excited to share the court with.
Cooper's association with Jayson dates back to his high school days, when he attended the JT Elite camp. The Maine native certainly impressed the Celtics star, especially with his competitive spirit and approach to the game from a young age.
"In high school, it's rare to see a guy that wants to guard the other best player, trying to block every shot, rebounding. And he just plays the right way," mentioned Tatum in one of his old statements about Flagg.
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Though he currently plays for the Mavericks, Coop grew up a Celtics fan, with the TD Garden being the only arena he attended games at as a kid. His love for the Cs did earn him some brownie points among fans who cheered him despite his representing the opposition.
Flagg was grateful
Speaking to the media postgame and reflecting on his childhood memories 9of the Garden, Flagg addressed the ovation he received from the crowd, with some even wearing his jersey.
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"It meant a lot. I tried to take a moment, take a deep breath, and take it all in. That's a dream come true, just being out there on that court, competing and playing at a high level. It's really special," described Flagg.
Truly a full circle moment for Cooper, who will now have to wait until next season to take on Tatum and the Celtics. In different conferences, one does not expect the two teams to play frequently unless they somehow meet in the NBA Finals. As Flagg continues to show progress, it is only going to get interesting watching his matchups with players like Tatum.
Related: Joe Mazzulla addresses Jayson Tatum missing first six shots in return from Achilles injury
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Mar 7, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
