Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg met soccer legend David Beckham after his recent courtside appearance at the 2026 NBA Global Preseason Games in Macao.
The Mavericks picked up a 132-115 win over the Houston Rockets in Game 2 of their two-game series in Macao for the 2026 NBA preseason.
Plenty of big names in the sports and entertainment world were present courtside for these games, including Yao Ming, Jackie Chan, Alibaba founder Jack Ma, Chris Bosh, Ray Allen, Dwyane Wade, and Vince Carter, but nobody as notable as soccer legend David Beckham.
Cooper Flagg and the Mavericks couldn’t resist a photo-op with David Beckham
Even though there aren’t many admitted soccer fans on the Mavericks, Beckham’s fame transcended the sport decades ago, and that was clear with the excitement with which Cooper and his teammates jumped into pictures with the English legend.
Flagg scored 14 points in 25 minutes for the win on inefficient shooting (3-10 FG), but also contributed four rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and a block to highlight his continued evolution heading into his second NBA season.
The 19-year-old forward had a better individual showing in the first game with 19 points, six rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block in 19 minutes. However, the Mavericks lost this clash 135-117 on October 9.
The NBA’s video sharing this interaction already has over 500K views on the initial X post, and subsequent posts from other accounts, such as the official Mavericks social media pages, have further spread the popularity of this interaction.
Beckham is unlikely to root for the Mavericks during the NBA season despite attending their preseason game and taking these photos with the stars, as he is loyal to Miami.
The owner of Inter Miami will likely lean towards rooting for the Miami Heat to show local support, but if Beckham needs a West Coast team to support, the Mavericks might be a great choice, especially with Kyrie Irving making his NBA return after almost two years out in front of Beckham.
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