Frenzy became bedlam on the next play. Flagg talked trash to James, ran to his spot on the left wing, pivoted off the catch and nailed the shot before turning to exult with his future Mavericks varsity teammates, who cheered him on decked out in casual wear from their courtside seats.

Cooper Flagg made his NBA Summer League debut Thursday night and although he and the Dallas Mavericks earned the win, the No. 1 NBA Draft pick called it “one of the worst game of my life.”

LAS VEGAS — He missed 16 of 21 shots, including all five attempts from deep, and airballed his first and final shots. And those who saw his NBA 2K26 Summer League debut still came away with a consensus gut feeling: Cooper Flagg is right on pace to be a problem.