Cooper Flagg wins summer league debut despite uneven showing - ESPN

LAS VEGAS — Cooper Flagg made his professional debut Thursday night in the NBA 2K26 Summer League and celebrated an 87-85 win over Bronny James and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Flagg finished with 10 points on 5-for-21 shooting, including 0-for-5 from 3-point range. He also had 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 1 block. Though Flagg struggled at times to find his rhythm, there were flashes as to why he was drafted No. 1 last month, doing plenty of little things that helped the Mavericks seal the win, including a key block near the end of the game.

Flagg swatted DJ Steward's attempt with 1:10 left in the game, and Ryan Nembhard made a 3-pointer at the other end to give Dallas the 87-85 lead.

«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 said after the game. «The coaches had a lot of confidence in me. They've been telling me they want me to experiment, try some new things, and I was trying to be aggressive, and that's new for me too.

»I would say that might be one of the worst games in my life, but we got the win, that's what really matters to me."

Flagg strolled into UNLV's Thomas and Mack Center at 4:17 p.m. on Thursday, wearing Dallas Mavericks gear, bright white New Balance shoes and an emotionless look on his face as he passed through security.

Roughly 45 minutes later, he wore the same stone-cold expression as he came out for warmups shortly after 5 p.m.

«I was obviously a little nervous, it's a new environment, a lot of new fans and whatnot,» Flagg said. «So I was a little nervous, a little excited, but just happy to be here. It's a dream come true, so I'm just trying to enjoy the