Nobody saw this coming — except everyone who’s been paying attention. Duke’s Cooper Flagg went first overall to the Dallas Mavericks Wednesday night, capping off what felt like the most predictable draft story in years. The kid’s been penciled in as the top pick since he stepped foot on campus, and his stellar run with the Blue Devils just made it official.
What’s interesting now is how Flagg handles the pressure cooker that comes with replacing Luka Dončić’s legacy in Dallas. Sure, it was brief, but memorable. The spotlight’s on Flagg for good reason — he becomes the sixth Duke player to hear his name called first in an NBA Draft, which says something about Coach K’s recruiting pipeline and what comes after.
What Else Made Headlines This Week
Beyond the Flagg-Duke-NBA Draft storyline that dominated the sports world, our weekly quiz touches on plenty of other compelling stories:
- The Oklahoma City Thunder wrapped up their fairy-tale NBA Finals run with a nail-biting Game 7 triumph.
- The Pac-12 Conference revealed its new primary television deal — another chapter in the conference’s rebuilding saga.
- Ever wonder what Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris spent half a million dollars on? The answer might surprise you.
- One switch-hitting MLB slugger is rewriting record books with each swing this season.
- A former Stanley Cup champion is making noise about an NHL comeback.
- We caught up with a seasoned college coach who’s actually enjoying the “chaos” that defines modern college football.
- A three-time Grand Slam champion is getting the ultimate honor: a statue at Wimbledon.
- visa issues forced a national basketball team to scrap their entire U.S. training camp.
- The New York Sirens grabbed a Czech standout with the top pick in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Draft.
Want to test your sports knowledge? The Athletic’s daily Connections: Sports Edition puzzle is waiting for you — see if you can connect the dots between various sports terms.
