Jul 10, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) is fouled by Los Angeles Lakers forward Cole Swider (41) in the first quarter of their game at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Kyrie Irving reacts to Cooper Flagg's Summer League debut for Mavericks vs. Lakers

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Jul 11, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The Dallas Mavericks had their first Summer League game on Thursday night, meaning Cooper Flagg had his first official NBA moment in a Mavs uniform. He didn't have the greatest game scoring the ball, having 10 points on a shockingly poor 5/21 shooting, but he impacted the game in other ways with his playmaking, defense, and transition game.

The poor shooting led Flagg to call it "one of the worst games of my life" in his postgame interview with the media. But he's happy he got the win, as Ryan Nembhard and Miles Kelly helped lift the Mavs to an 87-85 win over the Los Angeles Lakers and Bronny James.

A lot of Flagg's new Mavericks teammates were there in support: P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Max Christie, Jaden Hardy, and Kyrie Irving. After the game, Kyrie Irving was asked for a quick reaction from the Mavs' social media team.

"It was incredible [watching Flagg play]. Great team win. What can I say? Put the best foot forward, Coop got his first game out the way, a lot of guys got the jitters out. Looking forward to Game 2 coming up soon."

Til we meet again #MFFL pic.twitter.com/0oXu0Cb6po
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) July 11, 2025

It was easy to tell that Flagg was dealing with some jitters in the first few minutes of the game. The coaching staff wanted him to be aggressive, more aggressive than he'd normally be, just to see how he'd react to it. He handled the pressure well, but he'll have to score the ball more efficiently in the next game.

Dallas will play San Antonio on Saturday afternoon against the second overall pick, Dylan Harper.

This article first appeared on Dallas Mavericks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: