Dallas Mavericks' Cooper Flagg Surprises Bronny James After NBA Summer League Debut

The anticipation was palpable for Flagg's first NBA game, as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, who many believe will be a generational talent.

After shooting 5-of-21 from the field for 10 points, Flagg called his NBA Summer League debut “one of the worst games of my life.” Flagg went 0-of-5 from beyond the arc but the Dallas Mavericks beat the Los Angeles Lakers 87-85. Flagg finished with six rebounds, four assists, three steals and one block. 

"That might be one of the worst games of my life, but we got the win, so that’s what really matters to me," Flagg told reporters after the game. "I couldn't really get into a rhythm, it's a different environment, obviously very different from college, it's probably very different from what the real NBA is gonna be like."

Flagg also delighted the crowd with one monster dunk early in the game.

Expectations are high for the 6-foot-9 Flagg to adjust quickly to the Pros. He dazzled in his one season at Duke, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists on 48.1 percent shooting.

While it was all eye on Flagg, Bronny James, the son of NBA legend Lebron James, brought his own swagger. James played excellent defense and finished with eight points but missed a potential game-winning buzzer beater. James shot 2-of-8 from the field and only 1-of-6 from three.

USC Trojans fans will be watching the rest of summer league play to see how Bronny has developed since his time at USC, with the hope he can become a bigger contributor to the Lakers this season.

James looks to build on his first season in the NBA. James played in 27 regular season games last season, averaging 2.3 points per game on 31.3 percent shooting.

For both Bronny and Flagg, Thursday night's NBA summer league game was a great chance to find early momentum in the 2025-26 NBA season, while ripping the bandaid off on some nerves.

Last season, James developed and excelled with the G League's South Bay Lakers, combining for 18.6 points, 4.8 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game over 18 games.

After one season at USC, James was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second-round with the 55th overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft. James played in 25 games for the Trojans, making six starts, averaging 4.8 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.

Bronny joins an excellent group of former USC basketball players in the NBA. USC has seen a surge of basketball players in the NBA, with 10 Trojan basketball players who appeared in at least one NBA game last season.

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