Cooper Flagg Passes Kobe Bryant for Second in NBA Teenage Scoring

Cooper Flagg surpassed Kobe Bryant on Saturday night to claim second place on the NBA’s all-time teenage scoring list, finishing the game with 1,762 career points before turning 20, basketnews.com reported.

The Dallas Mavericks forward reached the milestone during a 127-117 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Flagg entered the matchup within striking distance of Bryant’s previous mark of 1,759 points and secured the historic basket during a 24-point performance.

LeBron James holds the top position on the teenage scoring list with 2,362 points. Bryant finished his career before his 20th birthday with 1,759 points, leaving Carmelo Anthony fourth with 1,725 points and Kevin Durant fifth with 1,624 points.

Flagg trails James by exactly 600 points with his 20th birthday approaching on Dec. 21. Bridging that gap requires an extraordinary scoring run over the remaining weeks.

Dallas plays 12 games before Flagg turns 20. Reaching James’ benchmark requires an average of 50.0 points per game across that stretch.

Flagg built the bulk of his teenage scoring total during a historic rookie campaign. The No. 1 pick scored 1,473 points across 70 games in the 2025-26 regular season, averaging 21.0 points to secure Rookie of the Year honors.

Flagg increased his production in his second NBA season. Over 12 games in the 2026-27 season, he averages 24.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 6.4 assists in 33.9 minutes per contest.

His scoring average climbed by 3.1 points compared to his rookie year. His assists jumped by 1.9 per game while maintaining a nearly identical playing time share.

His highest-scoring outing of the current season occurred on Nov. 9 against the Indiana Pacers. Flagg delivered 43 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists to secure a 125-122 victory for Dallas.