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By Bryan Colbert Jr.
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Cooper Flagg is barely into his second NBA season, and he’s already passing legends in the record books.
On Saturday, the Dallas Mavericks forward moved past Kobe Bryant for the second-most career points scored by a teenager in NBA history. Only LeBron James remains ahead of him.
The Dallas Mavericks forward became the second-highest-scoring teenager in NBA history, finishing the night with 1,762 career regular-season points. His performance pushed him past Bryant’s 1,759 points scored before turning 20.
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Only LeBron James remains ahead with 2,362 points. Carmelo Anthony follows Bryant with 1,725, placing Flagg among some of the most accomplished scorers the league has produced.
The milestone came during an otherwise frustrating night for Dallas.
Flagg finished with 18 points, eight rebounds, five assists and one block in the Mavericks’ 127-117 loss at Cleveland. He shot 6-for-19 from the field, missed all six of his 3-point attempts and made six of eight free throws. He did not commit a turnover.
Those 18 points were enough to move him three ahead of Bryant, adding another historical achievement to a career still in its second NBA season.
Flagg turns 20 on Dec. 21, giving him additional opportunities to increase his total. James’ record remains 600 points away, while reaching 2,000 would require another 238 points. That offers a more immediate milestone as Flagg continues adding to an already exceptional teenage resume.
Much of that foundation came during his Rookie of the Year campaign.
The No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft averaged 21 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists across 70 games last season. He finished with 1,473 points and led Dallas in total points, rebounds, assists and steals.
According to the NBA, Flagg joined Michael Jordan as the only rookies to lead their teams in all four categories since the league began tracking steals in 1973-74.
His first season also included a 51-point performance against Orlando on April 3, making him the youngest player in NBA history to score at least 50 points in a game. He became the first rookie with at least four 40-point games since Allen Iverson in 1996-97.
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Saturday added a different measure of his early production, showing how quickly those individual performances have accumulated.
For Dallas, however, the immediate concern remains winning.
Kyrie Irving scored 34 points against Cleveland, but the Mavericks could not overcome a Cavaliers team led by Tyrese Proctor’s 24 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
Flagg left Cleveland with a loss and a place above Bryant in the record books. His next challenge is helping turn that historic individual start into sustained success for Dallas.
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