Bronny James Shares Initial Thoughts On Cooper Flagg During Lakers, Mavericks Summer League Game
Bronny James and Cooper Flagg faced off in one of the most exciting games of the Summer League this season as the Lakers and Mavericks went against each other. Bronny James had a strong start, but Cooper Flagg eventually got going as well.
Advertisement
After a strong first half, Flagg seemed to cool down a bit, as he did not score in the third or fourth quarter. He finished the game with 10 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Bronny finished the game playing 20 minutes with eight points, two assists, and two rebounds. The Mavericks won the game 87-85.
Following his first quarter against the No. 1 pick, Bronny James spoke to the sideline reporter and expressed his initial thoughts on Flagg during the game itself.
"He's a quick, powerful big, so we've got to do everything we can to stop him and slow him down. But he's a great player and he's going to get his at some time. Just got to do a great job at stopping him down."
James finished the first half with 8 points and 1 assist, while Flagg had 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals in that same duration.
Advertisement
The stage was set for both these young players to ball out as the star-studded crowd in attendance had the likes of Kyrie Irving and Bronny's mother, Savannah James, in the building to show their support.
Bronny made the first two quick buckets to get five of his eight points in the first few minutes of the game. Flagg then found his momentum after slamming a thunderous dunk on the fast break that fired up everyone who was watching the game.
Bronny and Flogg put a lot of pressure on each other from the beginning of the game. They were directly matched up with each other as Jason Kidd apparently wanted to experiment with Flagg in the guard role, despite him being a forward. He may have asked the Summer League coaching staff to use Flagg that way and hence we saw constant action between the duo in the game.
Bronny was expected to be on a minutes restriction in the summer league. He only played 11 minutes in the Lakers' matchup with the Heat. However, tonight the coaching staff seems to have changed their minds on him, as he played 18 minutes in the first three quarters.
Advertisement
Ryan Nembhard led all scorers in the game for the Mavericks with 21 points and five assists, while Cole Swider did the same for the Lakers with 22 points and 10 rebounds. The Lakers will face the Pelicans in their next Summer League game, while the Mavericks will face the Spurs.
Related: LeBron James Reveals Why The Mavericks Are The Best Place For Cooper Flagg
This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jul 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Watch: Luka Doncic casually hits halfcourt shot while looking very fit
After he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 1, Luka Doncic received a lot of criticism for being out of shape and not taking care of his fitness and conditioning. He still put up his usual outstanding numbers, but his ability to get up and down the court and stay in front of his man defensively was noticeably compromised. So far this offseason, there has been plenty of talk about how Doncic has apparently gotten in much better shape. He was seen several weeks ago looking noticeably slimmer, and according to one report, he has been "incredibly committed" to his health and conditioning. There is a new video of the Slovenian superstar on social media where he casually hits a halfcourt shot in an open gym, and people have noticed how slim and fit he looks. Lakers fans on X (formerly Twitter) are looking forward to a new and improved version of Doncic. Doncic is currently preparing to represent Slovenia in the upcoming EuroBasket tournament, which will start late in August and run through mid-September. While Brian Windhorst reported that Doncic may wait until afterward to sign a contract extension with the Lakers, a new report indicated that the superstar may get that extension done in early August before the tournament starts. He will be eligible for a four-year, $229 million extension on Aug. 2.
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Lu Dort vouches for Montreal to have an NBA expansion team
As the calendar nears August, the NBA has hit its driest part of the year. The offseason is mostly settled. Teams head to vacation for the last two months before they get back on the grind for the 2025-26 season. After winning the NBA championship, the Oklahoma City Thunder will enter next season as the favorite to repeat. But before they can do that, players are scattered throughout the globe. It's that time of the year when everybody heads back home and relaxes a little. For Lu Dort, that means going back to Montreal, Québec, Canada. He played a key role in the Thunder's championship run. He was tasked to defend the opposition's best scorers. He also stepped up on the other end as he shot 34.3% from 3 on 6.1 attempts in the playoffs. When you win the Larry O'Brien trophy, you get the entire summer to flex your bragging rights. In Dort's case, that means showing how he could be the perfect 3-and-D starter on an NBA champion. After going undrafted in 2019, he's had one of OKC's better developmental success stories into one of the top defenders. Now that Dort is back home in Montreal, he's had a chance to reflect on the Thunder's championship journey. He also pushed the agenda that his home city is good enough to have its own NBA franchise. The 26-year-old has never been shy about his roots. As NBA Commissioner Adam Silver poured cold water over expansion talks at the Summer League, Dort recently campaigned that Montreal is capable of having an NBA franchise. You always hear about Seattle and Las Vegas. Rarely about Montreal. The Toronto Raptors are Canada's sole NBA team. "I would say the talent and the audience definitely. I think there's a lot of people in Montreal that loves basketball. Talent, we have so many kids from Montreal that plays in high school now. That plays in college. A lot of them in the NBA as well," Dort said. "I really think it's possible. I'll see if it happens one day. I'll see if I'll be involved in that one day. It's to see but I feel like it could definitely feel like it could happen one day." Of course, Montreal has hosted NBA games before. They hosted the Thunder and Dort in a 2023-24 preseason game against the Detroit Pistons. There was an appetite for NBA basketball back then that's only grown over time. Dort has done his part to make that known. "I'm telling them like, 'Guys, Montreal is a nice city and I'm pretty sure the NBA would love to have a team there,'" Dort said. "Sometimes, whenever I get the chance to speak on it, I'll do it." Considering Silver slowed down the talks of an NBA expansion, it'll be a while before Montreal can place its bid. That said, he didn't rule it out. It's been the talk around the league for a decade. While everybody else around the sport is ready to add a couple of more teams, the NBA itself might not be.
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Stephen Curry once tried to get in Kobe Bryant's head as a rookie
The late Kobe Bryant wasn't just one of the greatest players and winners in NBA history — he was also one of the most mentally tough individuals to ever play any sport. There were plenty of people who tried to distract, intimidate or break the Los Angeles Lakers legend. But Bryant always managed to withstand them and remain in one piece while continuing to do his thing. When Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors was a rookie during the 2009-10 season, he tried to gently get in Bryant's head when the latter was shooting free throws. But by his own admission, it didn't work (h/t Ahn Fire Digital). 'It was a game at home at Oracle, and they were winning, and I think they were up like six or something like that down the stretch, and we were starting to do the foul game,' Curry said. 'And when he was going to the line, I just walked by and was like, 'Yo, you nervous?' 'And the look he gave me was one I will just, is burned into my, like, 'One, he's a rookie talking to me, but two, am I nervous? What are you talking about?' 'I low-key expected him to do the [Michael] Jordan thing and walk up there and shoot them…eyes closed and then look at me, like, '[Dikembe] Mutombo, this is for you.' I think that's what Jordan said. 'But the look he gave me said it all. It was like, 'Yo, you just got here. Relax.'' Curry said that Bryant made those free throws he was referring to. Back then, Bryant was still arguably the best player in basketball, and he was still in the process of collecting championship rings. That year, he won his final and quite possibly his most satisfying world title when the Lakers outlasted the Boston Celtics in seven games during the NBA Finals. That was also the same season when Matt Barnes tried to fake an inbound pass in Bryant's face, but Bryant didn't flinch. Barnes would join the Lakers the following season with Bryant's full approval.
