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Cooper Flagg debuted in the NBA Summer League, and it came with a bit of a VRI.
The future face of the association went toe to toe with the current face of the current face, Bronny James, and Flagg has the upper hand after their first fight.
NBA’s leader of all times missed a potential game-winning three-pointer in the final seconds that gave Flagg and Hans Mavs an 87-85 victory.
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Cooper Flagg, #32 of Dallas Mavericks, is protected by Bronny James, #9 from Los Angeles Lakers, in the first half of a 2025 NBA Summer League match in Thomas & Mack Center on July 10, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Ryan Nembhard gave the Dallas lead with 1:03 to go on a three -pointer assisted by flagg – seconds after flagging a shot from LA’s DJ Steward. Los Angeles called a timeout and they brought James in.
Los Angeles was buried but missed both free throw. Flagg then tried to increase the lead by 15 seconds left, but missed his shot.
James then tried to the game winner, but missed out and Mavs was able to get away with the victory.
Flagg fought off the floor and scored only 10 points on 5-for-21 shooting, with six of these points coming in a 90-second period in the first quarter. He grabbed six rebounds, handed out four assists and had three steals and a 32 -minute block played. His first bucket, however, was a thunderous sludge on a coast-to-coast.
“I couldn’t really get into a rhythm, it’s another environment, obviously very different from college, it’s probably very different from what the real NBA will be,” Flagg said after the game. “The coaches had a lot of confidence in me. They’ve told me they want me to experiment, try some new things, and I tried to be aggressive, and that’s new to me too.
“I would say that maybe it’s one of the worst games of my life, but we got the victory, that’s what really matters to me.”
Bronny James, #9 of Los Angeles Lakers, and Cooper Flagg, #32 in Dallas Mavericks, goes after a loose ball in the first half of a 2025 NBA Summer League match in Thomas & Mack Center on July 10, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ian Maule/Getty Images)
2025 NBA Summer League Odds: Jazz favored; Bronny, Flagg MVP Long Shots
Flagg admitted he was “a little nervous.”
“It’s a new environment, a lot of new fans and what not,” Flagg said. “So I was a little nervous, a little excited, but just happy to be here. It’s a dream come true, so I’m just trying to enjoy the moment.”
James buried his first attempt at flagg and then hit a 3-pointer after the 6-foot-8 duchy product missed his second attempt to give Lakers a 5-0 lead.
The two had several tough plays against each other and shared lots of laughs on the field.
James scored eight points to go with two boards and two assists.
Bronny James, #9 of Los Angeles Lakers, is protected by Cooper Flagg, #32 of Dallas Mavericks, in the first half of a 2025 NBA Summer League match at Thomas & Amp; Mack Center on July 10, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
James was the 55th election in last year’s NBA draft out of the USC. Flagg went # 1 overall late last month to Dallas Mavericks.
