Dallas Mavericks' Cooper Flagg Surprises Bronny James After NBA Summer League Debut

Dallas Mavericks' Cooper Flagg made his NBA Summer League debut vs. the Los Angeles Lakers and guard Bronny James in Las Vegas. Flagg was unimpressed with his own performance but Bronny commented on Flagg's power and size after a heated game between two of the most recognizable young players in the NBA.

Jul 10, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) dribbles against Los Angeles Lakers guard RJ Davis (26) and guard DaJaun Gordon (45) in the first quarter of their game at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Dallas Mavericks' Cooper Flagg made his NBA Summer League debut vs. the Los Angeles Lakers and guard Bronny James in Las Vegas on Thursday night. Flagg was unimpressed with his own performance but Bronny commented on Flagg's power and size after a heated game between two of the most recognizable young players in the NBA.

“He’s just a quick, powerful big,” James told ESPN. “We’ve got to do everything we can to stop him and slow him down. But he’s a great player and he’s going to get his sometimes. Just got to do a great job of [slowing] him down.”

Jul 10, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) dribbles against Los Angeles Lakers guard RJ Davis (26) and guard DaJaun Gordon (45) in the first quarter of their game at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | Candice Ward-Imagn Images

The anticipation was palpable for Flagg's first NBA game, as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, who many believe will be a generational talent.

After shooting 5-of-21 from the field for 10 points, Flagg called his NBA Summer League debut “one of the worst games of my life.” Flagg went 0-of-5 from beyond the arc but the Dallas Mavericks beat the Los Angeles Lakers 87-85. Flagg finished with six rebounds, four assists, three steals and one block. 

"That might be one of the worst games of my life, but we got the win, so that’s what really matters to me," Flagg told reporters after the game. "I couldn't really get into a rhythm, it's a different environment, obviously very different from college, it's probably very different from what the real NBA is gonna be like."

Jun 27, 2025; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks first overall pick Cooper Flagg speaks to the media during a press conference at the Dallas Mavericks Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

COOPER FLAGG PUNCHED DOWN A FASTBREAK DUNK FOR HIS FIRST POINTS IN THE SUMMER LEAGUE! 🔨

Flagg then knocked down a TOUGH, contested mid-range over Dalton Knecht & got an and-1!

Future NBA superstar? 🤔⭐️ pic.twitter.com/8nLxRMM6x9

— Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) July 11, 2025

Flagg also delighted the crowd with one monster dunk early in the game.

Expectations are high for the 6-foot-9 Flagg to adjust quickly to the Pros. He dazzled in his one season at Duke, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists on 48.1 percent shooting.

While it was all eye on Flagg, Bronny James, the son of NBA legend Lebron James, brought his own swagger. James played excellent defense and finished with eight points but missed a potential game-winning buzzer beater. James shot 2-of-8 from the field and only 1-of-6 from three.

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Mar 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James during the game against the San Antonio Spurs at the Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

USC Trojans fans will be watching the rest of summer league play to see how Bronny has developed since his time at USC, with the hope he can become a bigger contributor to the Lakers this season.

James looks to build on his first season in the NBA. James played in 27 regular season games last season, averaging 2.3 points per game on 31.3 percent shooting.

For both Bronny and Flagg, Thursday night's NBA summer league game was a great chance to find early momentum in the 2025-26 NBA season, while ripping the bandaid off on some nerves.

Jan 28, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) controls the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Last season, James developed and excelled with the G League's South Bay Lakers, combining for 18.6 points, 4.8 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game over 18 games.

After one season at USC, James was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second-round with the 55th overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft. James played in 25 games for the Trojans, making six starts, averaging 4.8 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.

Bronny joins an excellent group of former USC basketball players in the NBA. USC has seen a surge of basketball players in the NBA, with 10 Trojan basketball players who appeared in at least one NBA game last season.