The Dallas Mavericks are receiving samples of the stardom Cooper Flagg can possess. Flagg erupted for 51 points against the Orlando Magic before facing the Los Angeles Lakers. He became equally aggressive from the jump too on Easter Sunday.

Flagg dropped 26 right away on the Lakers, including shooting a floater over two defenders while in transition.

He delivered 19 of his 26 during the first quarter, including blowing past two more defenders on this dunk attempt. Los Angeles ultimately managed to slow him down in the second. The first overall pick from the June 2025 NBA Draft hit 9-of-16 from field goal range including banking two 3-pointers.

Flagg became a force early on through the defensive side too. He swatted one basket and grabbed three steals as his Mavs led 67-61 at halftime inside the American Airlines Arena.

Flagg continues to spark conversations about who's the frontrunner for NBA Rookie of the Year.

He's averaging 20.8 points per game playing for Jason Kidd and the Mavs. That includes hitting 47.2% from field goal range. The 6-foot-9 rookie also is grabbing 6.6 rebounds a night.

“He should be Rookie of the Year. It's unbelievable, the country is not watching the same thing that we get to watch on a daily basis,” his head coach Kidd said after the 51-point evening against Orlando.

Flagg's presence and scoring has become a highlight for what's become a down year in Dallas. His first league season has witnessed a 24-53 mark with five games remaining.

He's become literally everything Dallas asked of him, though. Signaling that the franchise has a brighter future ahead with him. Sunday's early scoring outburst shines a new light on his growing stardom.