Latest news with #NationalCollegePlayeroftheYear
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ticket Prices for Cooper Flagg's Mavericks Debut vs. Bronny James Sets NBA Record
Ticket Prices for Cooper Flagg's Mavericks Debut vs. Bronny James Sets NBA Record originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Though he played very few meaningful minutes in the NBA last season, Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Bronny James was one of the most-talked about players in the league. Advertisement Whether he was playing with his dad LeBron James in the pros, or suiting up for the South Bay Lakers of the G League, Bronny seemingly always drew a crowd. The 20-year-old USC alum averaged 2.3 points, 0.8 assists, and 0.7 rebounds per game while playing a minuscule 6.7 minutes per night across 27 NBA games, and 21.9 points, 5.4 assists, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per night in 11 G League contests. Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) warms up prior to the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Conversely, Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft, was the most must-watch player in college basketball last season. The 18-year-old forward led Duke to a 35-4 record and Final Four appearance while earning consensus first-team All-America status and being named the National College Player of the Year and ACC Player of the Year. Advertisement So it should come as no surprise that the anticipation for his head-to-head matchup between Flagg and James on Thursday is already generating quite a bit of buzz. In fact, there's so much hype surrounding the game that ticket prices for the contest are already breaking records. According to ticket resale syndicate TickPick, the average ticket price for Thursday's Mavericks-Lakers matchup is $201 — the highest-selling ticket price ever for an NBA Summer League game. Dallas Mavericks' No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg speaks to the media during a press conference at the Dallas Mavericks Practice Miron-Imagn Images TickPick also reports that general admission tickets for Flagg's NBA debut are $83 and courtside seats are going for as high as $2,500. Advertisement The Lakers were also involved in the Summer League game with the second-highest ticket prices — a 2017 matchup against the Boston Celtics, which was also the league's first Summer League sellout and featured former No. 2 overall pick Lonzo Ball. ESPN reports that game had $30 general-admission tickets and others were going for $250 on the resale market, though that number hasn't been confirmed by any other resale sites (TickPick doesn't track sales data that far back.) The third-highest Summer League game on record came back in 2023 when Victor Wembanyama made his San Antonio Spurs debut. That game had an average ticket price of $161, and was also a sellout. Related: LeBron James Turns Heads With Reaction to Bronny James' Viral Dunk This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NBA Makes Cooper Flagg Announcement Ahead of Mavericks Debut
NBA Makes Cooper Flagg Announcement Ahead of Mavericks Debut originally appeared on Athlon Sports. When the Dallas Mavericks took Duke freshman phenom Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft last month, it felt like a moment of vindication for some fans. Advertisement The Mavericks, who traded away franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers just four months prior, lucked into winning the draft lottery despite having just a 1.8% chance of doing so. Flagg was the hands-down best player in the 2025 class having been named the National College Player of the Year and ACC Player of the Year in addition to winning the Lute Olson, Julius Erving, and Wayman Tisdale awards plus earning consensus first-team All-America, first-team All-ACC, ACC All-Defensive Team, and Acc All-Freshman honors. Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison and Mavericks first overall pick Cooper Flagg and head coach Jason Kidd pose for a photo at the Dallas Mavericks Practice Miron-Imagn Images Aside from San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, Flagg's Mavericks debut is the most-hyped Summer League game since Zion Williamson in 2019. Just hours before Flagg's first taste of the NBA, the league made an announcement about Flagg on its official X account. Advertisement 'No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg makes his #NBA2KSummerLeague debut TONIGHT as the Mavericks take on the Lakers! Action tips at 8:00pm/et on ESPN,' the NBA announced on X. The graphic the NBA used for the post featured Flagg and second-year Lakers guard Bronny James, who is fresh off one of the most polarizing rookie seasons in recent memory. Fans took to the comment section to rip on the NBA for playing up the Flagg vs. James matchup. 'Y'all just had to put Bronny in the graphic, right?' one fan asked. 'Y'all really showed a picture of Bronny. NBA 🤝 WNBA in having no clue how to market their failing products,' another fan exclaimed. Advertisement 'The fact that they make it like these two are on the same level is insane lol,' a third fan quipped. 'Headlining Bronny is crazy at this point,' one user scoffed. 'Btw, number 1 and number 2 picks typically play the first game. This is purely for Bronny. Terrible,' another user criticized. Plenty of eyes will be on James as many expect him to take on a larger role with the Lakers this season. The 20-year-old averaged just 2.3 points, 0.8 assists, 0.7 rebounds, and 6.7 minutes per game in his debut season across 27 appearances while he split time with the South Bay Lakers of the G League. Related: Ticket Prices for Cooper Flagg's Mavericks Debut vs. Bronny James Sets NBA Record This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
Boston Globe
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Five things to know about Celtics center Luka Garza
There is optimism about the 6-foot-10-inch center's offensive potential. There are also concerns about his defensive abilities. Here are five things to know about Garza. He's a former National College Player of the Year Garza won the 2021 Lute Olson award, which is given to the most outstanding player in men's college basketball. (Celtics guard He's also a two-time winner of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar award, which goes to the nation's top center, as well as a two-time Big Ten player of the year. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up He averaged 24.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks while shooting 55 percent from the field during his senior season. Advertisement He was the MVP of the 2023 G-League Next Up game In 2023, the NBA added a G-League showcase game to All-Star weekend. Garza was named MVP of the inaugural G-League Next Up game after he scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Neemias Queta had 22 points, nine rebounds, and five assists, but his team lost. Fans voted Garza as the captain of his team. 'I think I did solid,' Advertisement He's joining a thin Celtics frontcourt With Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet gone and free-agent Al Horford pondering his future, the Celtics' frontcourt depth isn't as strong as it was last year. Garza and Queta are currently the top two centers on the roster, with Xavier Tillman and rookie Amari Williams rounding out the group. There's plenty of time for the Celtics to make roster moves, but for now, the resources are scarce at the center position. He's skilled on offense and questionable defensively Garza gets the bulk of his points in the paint, but he has also shown flashes of being a capable 3-point shooter. He shot 44 percent from deep during his senior season at Iowa, and 44 percent during his most recent six-game stint in the G-League. His NBA career 3-point percentage is 31 percent with much fewer attempts. Garza has shown that he can score off of pick-and-rolls and pick-and-pops. He can hit floaters and has a range of low-post moves, having He has not shown that he can defend well enough at the NBA level to stay on the floor. Quickness, mobility, and rim protection are not his strong suits. He Lefty Driesell's son coached him in high school Garza played high school basketball at Maret School in Washington D.C. where he was coached by Chuck Driesell, the son of The elder Driesell resigned from his longtime position at Maryland in 1986 after the death of Len Bias, but returned to coaching in 1988 and stayed in the profession until 2003. Lefty Driesell (786 victories) is 15th on the all-time wins list among men's college basketball coaches. Advertisement The younger Driesell still coaches at the Maret School, where he has been for a decade. Garza won the 2017 D.C. Gatorade Player of the Year award while at Maret. Khari Thompson can be reached at
USA Today
25-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
NBA draft 2025: How to watch first round, time, complete draft order on June 25
The first round of the 2025 NBA draft is set to begin on Wednesday, with 30 players expected to hear their names called at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Cooper Flagg is the overwhelming favorite to be the No. 1 pick by the Dallas Mavericks after establishing himself as the National College Player of the Year at Duke. He entered the season with tremendous expectations, and likely exceeded them after becoming the face of the sport. Rutgers guard Dylan Harper is the consensus choice to be the second name called by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to the San Antonio Spurs. He is viewed as the second-best prospect in the class after a sensational campaign with the Scarlet Knights. With Flagg and Harper off the board, the first round could be shaken up when the Philadelphia 76ers go on the clock. The team was long thought to be the landing spot for Ace Bailey, but after a precarious predraft process, the former Rutgers forward is expected to fall outside of the top five. Related Rutgers' Ace Bailey addresses NBA draft rumors: 'I'm focused on basketball' The order of the draft has changed frequently in recent memory, with teams executing various trades involving several high-profile players, such as Kevin Durant, Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porziņģis and Desmond Bane, among others. Just on Tuesday, the Brooklyn Nets acquired a first-round pick in a three-team trade that saw Porziņģis land with the Atlanta Hawks. The Nets, who also landed Brooklyn native Terance Mann from the Hawks, now have five first-round picks on Wednesday. The trade discussions and rumors will continue to swirl before the Mavericks are officially on the clock Wednesday evening. Some teams have been linked to wanting to trade out of the first round, while others have been seeking to move up and join the festivities. The 2025 NBA draft will feature a two-night format for the second consecutive year, with the first round scheduled for Wednesday and the second round for Thursday. How to watch the 2025 NBA draft First Round: 2025 NBA draft order First Round: Second Round: Nos. 31-40 31. Minnesota (via Utah) 32. Boston (via Washington) 33. Charlotte 34. Charlotte (via New Orleans) 35. Philadelphia 36. Brooklyn 37. Detroit (via Toronto) 38. San Antonio 39: Toronto (via Portland) 40. New Orleans (via Phoenix) Second Round: Nos. 41-50 41. Golden State (via Miami) 42. Sacramento (via Chicago) 43. Utah (via Dallas) 44. Oklahoma City (via Atlanta) 45. Chicago (via Sacramento) 46. Orlando 47. Milwaukee (via Detroit) 48. Memphis (via Golden State) 49. Cleveland (via Milwaukee) 50. New York (via Memphis) Second Round: Nos. 51-59 51. LA Clippers (Minnesota) 52. Phoenix (via Denver) 53. Utah (via Clippers) 54. Indiana 55. Los Angeles Lakers New York: Forfeited 56. Memphis (via Houston) 57. Orlando (via Boston) 58. Cleveland 59. Phoenix (via Oklahoma City)
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mavericks' intriguing Cooper Flagg activity before 2025 NBA draft
The post Mavericks' intriguing Cooper Flagg activity before 2025 NBA draft appeared first on ClutchPoints. The 2025 NBA draft is still eight days away, but Cooper Flagg is already in Dallas for his scheduled pre-draft visit. The Duke graduate is expected to be picked by the Dallas Mavericks after Nico Harrison's team won the draft lottery despite only having a 1.8% chance of securing the number one pick. Dallas had the fourth-lowest odds of winning the lottery since its inception in 1985, and jumped 10 places to win the number one pick. Advertisement This is Cooper Flagg's only pre-draft visit, which signals the Mavericks' intention of picking him, something which has been hinted at by multiple sources. According to Insider Marc Stein, Flagg had a dinner with a group of team officials before what has been described as a 'light on-court component.' 'Next week's No. 1 overall pick is indeed in Dallas as scheduled, had dinner tonight with a contingent of team officials … with his visit scheduled to include what one source termed a 'light on-court component,'' the update said. Unlike other top prospects, Flagg has shown no interest in visiting or working out for any franchise other than Dallas, making his future destination all but official. Head coach Jason Kidd had previously praised 'the kid from Duke' multiple times this offseason, and had effectively confirmed the Mavericks intended to draft him. 'Yes,' Jason Kidd said. 'I'm just the coach, yes I would say we're all concentrating on number one. The draft is deep, but as the name you just brought up, I think we're all focused on.' Advertisement Needless to say, Flagg arrives in Dallas already a star. In his solitary season with Duke, he averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game, and led the team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. Flagg helped Duke to a Final Four appearance and was the National College Player of the Year, also securing a first-team All-American appearance. In addition to Flagg kickstarting a new era in Dallas, his move also gives the front office some much-needed redemption. Nico Harrison and co. have been continuously criticized for trading former talisman Luka Doncic, with fans claiming that Dallas did not get the right value for their former Slovenian superstar. The move, coupled with Anthony Davis' injury troubles, resulted in the Mavericks finishing 10th in the West last season, giving them a shot in the draft lottery. Related: Cooper Flagg's Duke teammate breaks down potential fit alongside Mavericks' Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis Related: NBA rumors: ESPN's 4-team trade sends Giannis to Warriors, Draymond Green to Lakers
