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

LAS VEGAS- In a battle that featured three 2025 lottery picks, the anticipation didn’t outweigh the on-court production.

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

Rookie Cooper Flagg may not have been happy with his professional debut Thursday night in the NBA Summer League, but he still drew rave reviews all around after the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Los Angeles Lakers,

Mavericks NBA Summer League game, which marked the NBA debut of #1 pick Cooper Flagg, averaged 955,000 viewers on ESPN — marking the fourth-largest Summer League audience ever on

Flagg's fans had plenty of energy, electrifying the jam-packed arena that went cheered loudest when he was announced as a starter.

Flagg has gone from sitting on a bucket for hours at a time harvesting peas to finding a place in the NBA as the No. 1 draft pick.

The other thing that matters: neither the Mavericks nor Cooper Flagg sounded concerned about his debut. Summer League performances rarely foreshadow NBA excellence or failure. But one important