Cooper Flagg finally made his highly anticipated Summer League debut for the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night. The first overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft made waves in his first outing as he helped lead the Mavs to a hard-fought 87-85 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in Las Vegas.
Flagg struggled with his shot in his first game, though, making just five out of his 21 attempts on the evening, while also missing all five of his three-point shots. The 18-year-old finished with 10 points, six rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block in 32 minutes of action.
While Flagg did show some flashes of brilliance throughout the game, the highly touted rookie did not exactly turn in a mind-blowing performance in his first Summer League game.
Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) looks on against the Los Angeles Lakers in the second quarter of their game.
Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) looks on against the Los Angeles Lakers in the second quarter of their game.
Candice Ward-Imagn Images
One of the stars in attendance for Flagg's debut was nine-time All-Star Kyrie Irving, who had a special message for his new Mavs teammate after the game.
"It was an incredible environment," Irving said. "A lot of fans showed up to watch Lakers-Mavs. Got the chance to see the No. 1 pick out there perform extremely well.
"He's probably going to put a lot of pressure on himself and say he didn't do well. That just comes with it."
Being a former first overall pick himself, Irving knows all about the pressure that comes with being such a hot prospect. The veteran guard expressed how impressed he was with Flagg's "excellent" performance, but Irving also knows that Flagg isn't going to be delighted with how he played against the Lakers.
It's going to be very exciting to see Irving and Flagg team up on the basketball court alongside the rest of their Mavs teammates. Apart from having the opportunity to play with one of the top point guards in the NBA today, Flagg will also have the privilege of learning from a superstar who traversed the same path that he's about to take.