LAS VEGAS — Cooper 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 face as he came out for warmups shortly after 5 p.m. at the NBA Summer League.
His fans more than made up for it with plenty of energy, electrifying the jam-packed arena that went cheered loudest when he was announced as a starter.
Flagg missed his first two attempts of the game and picked up his first foul just 46 seconds into the game.
Also a fan favorite, Bronny James buried his first attempt, over Flagg, and followed after Flagg’s second miss with a 3-pointer to give the Lakers a 5-0 lead.
Flagg scored his first basket at the 4:30 mark, and followed with a mid-range fadeaway as he fell to the floor.
Generally filled with Lakers fans when the team plays in the summer, the arena was full of emotion with a fair share of Mavericks fans in attendance to see the 2025 National college player of the year.
Like 15-year-old Baer Epple,who was seated with his father Chad in the third row from the court, donning a Mavericks jersey.
Epple said he’s been following Flagg since before his Duke days, beginning with his junior year at Nokomis Regional High School in Newport, Maine.
The 15-year-old who is in Las Vegas from Seattle for an AAU tournament said he’s been a Mavericks fan for roughly four years.
“Even more of a fan now that they got Cooper Flagg,” Epple said. “Hopefully he does good, that’d be pretty cool to see. I don’t want him to be like a bust or anything.”
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd told the Associated Press before the game he’s looking for nothing more than effort and grit in his team’s opening game, as he wants them all playing hard.
“This summer league is a little different when you have this type of turnout,” Kidd said. “But the guys have had a couple practices. There’s going to be some turnovers. I just want to see how they respond to a couple of mistakes being made, no one’s gonna play a perfect game and be unselfish.”
As for his prize draft pick: “We’re all excited,” Kidd said of Flagg. “Seen enough of him on tape, so now it’s good to see him on the floor.”
