Image: Cooper Flagg and Bronny James
Cooper Flagg faced off against Bronny James in his first action for the Dallas Mavericks.
Look, we’ve made our feelings about the disastrous Luka Doncic trade clear since February. As weird as it is to still think of Doncic as a Laker, he is, in fact, a Laker and not a Dallas Maverick.
You know who isn’t wearing the gold and purple? Cooper freaking Flagg.
On Thursday night in Las Vegas, the top overall pick of the 2025 NBA draft made his first appearance in a Mavericks uniform for the Dallas NBA Summer League squad. We don’t mind saying that he was real and he was spectacular.
To be fair, summer league games are little more than an annual rookie training camp that lets everyone either get way too excited about the new crop of talent or way too discouraged.
And we're also here to say: 10 points never looked or felt so good.
For starters, Thursday night’s game was against the Lakers’ summer league team, starring LeBron James’ son, Bronny James. Thanks, NBA scriptwriters. On top of that, Flagg kicked off his Mavericks era by doing what he has become known for: kicking ass and making plays.
After stealing the ball at the far end of the court, Flagg steamrolled his way to the other end for a thunderous dunk for his first bucket. Seconds later, he grabbed a rebound and again, darted back down the court to nail a mid-range jumper as he fell down to the floor, tallying his first four points in the span of less than 30 thrilling seconds.
Cooper Flagg showcased his skills in his debut 🔥 #NBA2KSummerLeague
10 PTS
6 REB
4 AST
3 STL
And 1 big block to help seal the @dallasmavs win! pic.twitter.com/S3svJlHlA9
— NBA (@NBA) July 11, 2025
Sure, some critics might point out that Flagg didn’t hit any 3-point shots and that Bronny James managed to play some pretty good defense against him, but you know what? We’re not those critics. Flagg Day is upon us and we’re here to celebrate it.
Flagg and the Mavericks begin the regular season on Oct. 24 against the San Antonio Spurs.
Oh, and still, #FireNico.