DALLAS — Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks will host Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night to begin the 2025-26 season. The battle of the No. 1 picks will draw no shortage of attention as Flagg prepares to make his NBA debut. Wembanyama, meanwhile, is set to begin his third year in the league. Flagg told reporters on Tuesday that he's never seen Wembanyama in person, but has watched video and even received a message about the Spurs star.

“I mean, I've obviously seen tape and what not. I've never seen him play in person or even seen him in person,” Flagg said of Wembanyama. “From what the guys have told me, he’s kind of just something you’ve never seen before. You can't really understand that until you see it in person… Obviously, he's an incredible player and I'm looking forward to getting that experience and being able to compete against him.”

Spurs-Mavericks will give fans first Wembanyama-Flagg clash

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Wembanyama is an incredible player to say the least. His height (he's listed at 7'4″) is a talking point, but Wembanyama features a versatile game. It's rare to see a player who is over seven feet who can do the things that the Spurs star is capable of on the floor. Whether it's scoring, defending, passing, dribbling or something else, Wembanyama is indeed “something you've never seen before.”

Flagg is ready for the challenge. He won't be defending Wembanyama for the most part, but Cooper could help on some double-teams. In the end, Flagg and the Mavericks' primary focus is on winning. The same can be said for Wembanyama and the Spurs.

However, Flagg and Wembanyama have been two of the most hyped players in the NBA since LeBron James back in 2003. With both stars early in their careers and playing in Texas, Wednesday's matchup will likely represent the first of many battles between the phenoms.