Dallas Mavericks star rookie Cooper Flagg shares the heartwarming reason behind his love for jersey number 32

Dallas Mavericks star rookie Cooper Flagg is the current talk of NBA town, for all great reasons. The Duke alum had a perfect start to the Summer League games. With hard work and dedication, he went on to prove why he was the number 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft.

The 18-year-old recently spoke about his reservation for Jersey number 32, and the reason would surely leave anyone teary-eyed.

Cooper Flagg reveals the heart-touching reason behind always opting for jersey number 32

Dallas Mavericks’ newly minted star rookie Cooper Flagg has been very particular about his jersey number ever since he started playing basketball. Initially, he started off with jersey number 32 but stuck with it till now for a very profound reason. According to a clip shared by the official page of NBA on Instagram, Flagg revealed that his mother had the same jersey number during her college time. He said- "My mom had worn [No.

32] in high school and then her teammate in college, Donovan Clingan's mom, had also worn it, and she had passed away. So I think I started wearing it because [my mom] wore it originally.”

He further elaborated,“Then having learned that story and hearing that, it gave me more of a reason to want to wear it. Just having that reason of my mom's teammate and wearing that number, it kind of just made me feel good about it. I just fell in love with the number."

However, wearing the jersey number 32 turned out to be perfect for Cooper Flagg. He wrapped up his high school career as the No. 1 overall prospect in the Class of 2024, according to 247Sports, and led a stacked Montverde squad that ranks among the most talented high school teams ever assembled. Along the way, he earned honors like Gatorade National Player of the Year and McDonald’s All-American.

Cooper Flagg’s mother turned emotional during the 2025 NBA draft

As Adam Silver called out Cooper Flagg’s name for the No. 1 pick during 2025 NBA draft, the only person that crossed his mind was his mother, Kelly. During a post-draft session interview, Flagg said, “I just looked at my mom.

She was crying. And from then, it was just kind of a blur.”

Cooper Flagg further mentioned,“She’s probably just going to start crying. She’s going to be happy. My oldest brother, Hunter, he just told me how proud he is of me. So that was really special. “The Dallas Mavericks star revealed that his mother was the first one to hug him and even pointed out that he was quite sweaty all thanks to feeling a mix of emotions.Also Read: Cooper Flagg reveals being hyped up by coach Jason Kidd and Mark Cuban after being defeated by the San Antonio Spurs