The Dallas Mavericks opened the NBA Summer League against the Los Angeles Lakers, giving NBA fans a high-profile matchup between the first overall pick, Cooper Flagg, and the son of arguably the greatest player ever, Bronny James. That's on top of the natural rivalry that now exists between the teams after the mid-season trade of Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis.
Jason Kidd wanted to play Cooper Flagg at point guard during the Summer League so he'd have the ball in his hands more, hoping to make him uncomfortable a little. That had him matched up with Bronny James early and often, and the two went after it.
READ MORE: Cooper Flagg gets first NBA points against Lakers with authority
Dallas Mavericks first overall pick Cooper Flagg
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
Bronny hit the first two shots of the game, one being a three over Flagg, while Flagg got off to a slow start when he missed his first two shots. Once Flagg got going, Bronny took the challenge and wanted to defend him at a high level.
During the second quarter, Flagg tried to post up Bronny James on the left side of the floor. Bronny poked the ball free, but it was called a foul. Flagg responded by getting the inbounds in the same spot, rising up, and hitting a jumper over Bronny. Many of Flagg's new Mavericks teammates, like Kyrie Irving and P.J. Washington, happened to be sitting right next to the play, too.
Bronny vs. Coop is cinema 🍿 pic.twitter.com/ObwL0VVIDV
— ESPN (@espn) July 11, 2025
Cooper Flagg with the sweet turnaround middy 🔥
The #1 pick has 8 in the 1st half... #NBA2KSummerLeague on ESPN pic.twitter.com/8H574kxCI4
— NBA (@NBA) July 11, 2025
Flagg started slowly, but he quickly got more comfortable as the game settled in. By halftime, he had 10 points, two steals, three rebounds, and an assist. For being the second-youngest draft pick ever, it's an impressive display.
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