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
Fox Sports
6 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
76ers' Daryl Morey Thinks Los Angeles Lakers' 2020 NBA Title is Not 'Genuine'
Fans argue all the time whether the 2020 NBA title won during the "bubble" season should count or have an asterisk next to it. Is it to discredit the Lakers and LeBron James, or do people actually think it wasn't a legitimate title win? Well, those fans who won't give the Lakers credit could be backed up by an NBA executive. Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations, Daryl Morey, told the Athletic that people around the league privately agree the championship isn't genuine. "Yet, everyone I speak to around the league privately agrees that it doesn't truly hold up as a genuine championship," said Morey. "Perhaps the lasting legacy of the NBA bubble is that the NBA should be proud of its leadership at both the beginning and end of the pandemic, even though the champion will forever be marked by an asterisk." While some fans might agree, Morey might not be the best messenger for this take on championships due to his teams never winning an NBA title or even just reaching the Finals. In 2006, Morey took over as assistant general manager for the Houston Rockets. He was promoted a year later to general manager. The Rockets reached the playoffs multiple times but could never get to the Finals. Morey did win Executive of the Year in the 2017-2018 season, though. Now he serves as the President of Basketball Operations for the 76ers, who haven't reached the conference finals since he got there in 2020. Others interviewed by the Athletic disagreed with Morey and, even said that the time in the bubble was one of the most difficult, and that title run by the Lakers should never have an asterisk beside it. Not only just a hard time for the world, not knowing what's next, but for players and everyone in the NBA as well. Players and coaches couldn't go home to family, were isolated in a hotel room, underwent daily COVID-19 testing and could only leave their rooms to play basketball. No fans in the stands to give teams a home-court advantage: nothing but basketball. The Lakers defeated the Miami Heat, 4-2, in the 2020 "bubble" Finals. This title marked their 17th championship and James' fourth. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience Los Angeles Lakers Philadelphia 76ers National Basketball Association recommended Item 1 of 3 Get more from the National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Phoenix Suns preseason schedule includes games vs. Brooklyn in China
The Phoenix Suns will travel to China for two preseason games in October, the team announced on Wednesday, July 30. The games are among four preseason games the team will play, beginning Oct. 3 against the Los Angeles Lakers. That opening game will be played at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, California. The Suns have played the Lakers in preseason games the past two seasons in Palm Desert. After that, Phoenix will travel to Macao, China, for a two-game series against the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA China Games 2025. The first will be held Oct. 10 in the Venetian Arena at 5 a.m. Arizona time. The second game will take place Oct. 12 in the same location at 4 a.m., Arizona time. The final preseason contest and only home game will take place Oct. 14 at PHX Arena at 7 p.m., against the Lakers. All four preseason games will be broadcast locally on Arizona's Family television (3TV), Arizona Sports 98.7 radio and KSUN La Mejor radio. They will also stream on Suns Live. Single-game tickets for all Suns preseason and regular season home games will go on sale following the release of the regular season schedule. Fans can sign up for exclusive presale access by visiting This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Suns preseason schedule includes games vs. Brooklyn in China
Newsweek
38 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Lakers' JJ Redick Sends Clear Message to Bronny James After NBA Summer League
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Aside from LeBron James' future and Luka Doncic's contract extension, one of the biggest offseason questions surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers is what role Bronny James will play in 2025. There's no question the 20-year-old guard experienced a steep learning curve during his rookie season, in which he averaged 2.3 points, 0.8 assists, 0.7 rebounds, and 6.7 minutes per game across 27 contests. Bronny split time between the NBA and the G League, where he played in 18 games between the regular season and tip-off tournament for South Bay Lakers, averaging 18.6 points, 4.8 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per night, and he saw his playing time with the Lakers increase slightly toward the end of the regular season as the team battled injuries down the stretch. More Basketball: Warriors' Steph Curry Reveals Surprising Bronny James Revelation The former second-round pick showed some small flashes at different points last season, which included his nine-point game against the Utah Jazz on Feb. 12 and the 17-point, five-assist, three-rebound performance he had against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 20 — all career highs. So heading into Year 2 as a pro, many eyes will be on Bronny to see if he does, in fact, take the next step in his development and possibly carve out a role for himself with many expecting his father, LeBron, to move onto a new team in 2026. Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick talks to Bronny James #9 during the first half of their preseason game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on October 18, 2024 in San Francisco,... Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick talks to Bronny James #9 during the first half of their preseason game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on October 18, 2024 in San Francisco, California. MoreAs Bronny finished up his second Summer League stint, Lakers head coach JJ Redick offered him a bit of advice on what to work on. "The biggest thing for Bronny is that he has to get in elite shape," Redick told ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "That's the barrier of entry for him right now. And if he does that, I think he's got a chance to be a really fantastic player in the NBA." Redick also name-dropped two other NBA players he wants Bronny to model his game after — Miami Heat point guard Davion Mitchell and Indiana Pacers point guard T.J. McConnell — both of whom Redick says are shining examples of strong two-way play plus optimal stamina and physicality. More Basketball: Fever Predicted to Trade for WNBA Champion After Caitlin Clark News In three Summer League appearances, Bronny showed signs of improvement from the same point last year, averaging 16.3 points, 4.3 assists, and 2.6 rebounds per outing, and seemingly taking a step forward as a scorer. His performance even landed him a spot on Jerry Jiang's top five sophomore standouts from the Summer League for "The biggest difference was confidence — James simply looked more comfortable running the offense and continued to shoot the 3-point shot well," Jiang wrote.
