Mavericks-Lakers battle between Bronny James, Cooper Flagg draws historic ratings

Everyone was tuned in to see Cooper Flagg's first NBA moment in the Summer League.

Jul 10, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) subs out against the Los Angeles Lakers in the second quarter of their game at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | Candice Ward-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks picked up their first win of the Cooper Flagg era on Thursday night, beating the Los Angeles Lakers in the Las Vegas Summer League 87-85. Flagg didn't have the greatest game scoring, calling it one of the worst of his career with 10 points on 5/21 shooting, but he still took care of the ball, showed off his playmaking, and played great defense.

It was a high-profile matchup against Bronny James and the Lakers, one that the NBA had been marketing since almost immediately after the NBA Draft. And it delivered with a great basketball game, seeing Flagg and James got after it on multiple occasions.

READ MORE: Luka Doncic trade between Mavericks & Lakers had unintended LeBron James consequence

Jul 10, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) looks on against the Los Angeles Lakers in the second quarter of their game at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | Candice Ward-Imagn Images

The game was the most expensive Summer League ticket ever, with lower bowl seats costing around $1000. The TV ratings just came back from the game, and they were just as staggering.

According to Sports Media Watch, the broadcast peaked at 1.12 million viewers and had an average viewership of 955,000. That's the fourth-largest audience for a Summer League game ever, trailing only the Hornets and Spurs in 2023 (Victor Wembanyama's debut), the Pelicans and Knicks in 2019 (Zion Williamson's debut vs. RJ Barrett), and the Celtics and Lakers in 2017 (Lonzo Ball vs. Jayson Tatum).

People generally don't tune into the Summer League unless there is a matchup worth watching, and Thursday's was worth it. Flagg will have a few more high-profile matchups throughout the Summer League, as he'll face the other top four picks in the next three games: Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecombe, and Kon Knueppel.

READ MORE: Jason Kidd saw 'respect' from Lakers in Cooper Flagg's NBA debut

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