"Never be satisfied" - Dirk Nowitzki shares the secret to success with Mavs phenom Cooper Flagg
With the oft-injured Anthony Davis traded away and a Nico Harrison-less front office, the Dallas Mavericks are slowly laying the foundation for Cooper Flagg to rebuild the franchise from the ruins of the Luka Doncic trade.
It is a heavy responsibility to be given to any player, let alone a 19-year-old rookie. Luckily, during a sit-down interview, Flagg learned the secret to delivering on this expectation from NBA legend Dirk Nowitzki .
Although the keys to the city weren't handed to Nowitzki when he entered the NBA in 1998, as they were with Flagg, he was still a promising prospect the Mavericks wanted to experiment with. Once the German star became the new centerpiece, accolades filled his trophy rack, and the victories piled up, eventually culminating in an NBA championship in 2011.
It's all because Dirk kept striving for greatness – and he wants Copper to do that too.
"Never be satisfied," he told Flagg. "Don't be satisfied with Rookie of the Year or your first deal."
Cooper is ahead of Dirk's curve
During the interview, Nowitzki admitted that Flagg is a far better player than he ever was in his rookie year. And based on the numbers, per SportsReference, he is right.
This season, the Duke product is averaging 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists across 47 games.
Meanwhile, drafted seventh overall in the 1998 draft, Nowitzki averaged 8.4 points on 40.5 percent shooting from the field, 3.4 rebounds and 1.0 assists in his rookie year.
Although Nowitzki wasn't the cornerstone yet, with two-time All-Star Michael Finley at the helm, the then 20-year-old rookie was disappointed in himself, admitting he felt lost in every game.
Comparing himself to Flagg, Nowitzki said it is clear that the latter already has the makings of a franchise player. For him, based on how Flagg is playing and maturing with every game and every loss, the only way is upwards.
"You're already way far ahead of my curve," Nowitzki told Flagg. "Your all-around game has already developed, it's unbelievable."
He is now the best player on the Mavs, who hold the 12th-best record in the Western Conference at 19-33. He is leading the latest Rookie of the Year ladder.
Doing everything for Dallas
Nowitzki stuck with his mindset for 21 years. He ended his career as a Hall of Famer, winning an NBA championship, earning Finals MVP honors, and earning multiple All-Star and All-NBA selections. In return, the whole city of Dallas embraced him wholeheartedly.
"I always wanted to keep improving and that's how I got to play that long," he explained. "Twenty-one years later, this community now means a lot to me. I moved here, my family lives here."
We are seeing this happen with Doncic . Although he is donning a Los Angeles Lakers jersey, the American Airlines Center crowd still cheers for him and pays him tribute for the success, excitement and promise he brought to the franchise during his eight-year stint in Dallas.
Now, Flagg is in the same position. Nowitzki believes he could very well be the same type of player for the Mavericks.
"We're all proud of you. Keep it up, my guy," he told Cooper. "You're well on your way, my friend, and we're all here to witness it."
All Flagg needs to do is play his heart out for Dallas. Sooner or later, that passion and growth will help him restore the Mavericks to their former glory. For that, the city will embrace him, too, as it did with Doncic and Nowitzki.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Feb 8, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
