Cooper Flagg has already joined this elite list in the NBA
Cooper Flagg will join a select club of players drafted first overall who play in Mexico during their rookie season.
Cooper Flagg was selected with the first overall pick by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2025 NBA Draft. The Duke forward will wear the number 31 jersey as a professional and will join a select group of No. 1 picks when his team faces the Detroit Pistons in next season’s NBA Mexico City Game — the 15th regular-season NBA game to be held on Mexican soil.
Flagg will become just the third No. 1 overall pick to play in Mexico during his rookie season. The first two were Anthony Davis and Andrew Wiggins. Davis appeared in a 2012 preseason game between the New Orleans Hornets and the Orlando Magic, while Wiggins played in a regular-season matchup between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Houston Rockets in 2014. Both games took place at Mexico City Arena.
Davis played only 23 minutes in the October 7, 2012 game, notching eight points, eight rebounds, and two blocks — a relatively quiet outing for the former Kentucky star. However, the game was memorable for Mexican fans, who got to see local favorite Gustavo Ayón in action for the Magic. Now, over a decade later, Davis will return to Mexico — this time as Flagg’s teammate on the Mavericks.
Although Wiggins was originally drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers, he was traded to the Timberwolves to help facilitate LeBron James’ reunion with Kevin Love in Cleveland. That trade set up Wiggins’ appearance in Mexico City on November 12, 2014, where he faced off against James Harden and Dwight Howard. The Canadian rookie scored 15 points, added one rebound and a block, but struggled with foul trouble and logged just over 31 minutes.
What makes the upcoming 15th NBA regular-season game in Mexico especially exciting is the level of talent on display. Just a year after fans witnessed a Wizards-Heat matchup headlined by Trae Young, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo, they’ll now have the opportunity to see four former No. 1 picks in action.
In addition to Flagg and Davis, the Mavericks also feature Kyrie Irving — the top pick in the 2011 draft, selected by the Cavaliers to spearhead the post-LeBron rebuild. Meanwhile, the Pistons are led by Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 overall pick in 2021.
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The former Oklahoma State standout came into his own last season, proving he has the potential to become one of the league’s next stars.
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