When you are the overall #1 draft pick, the hype automatically follows. That’s what Cooper Flagg has been experiencing, and even his unofficial debut brought the hype. To add more to the fanfare, the NBA changed the tradition of the Summer league where the #1 pick faced #2. Not Dylan Harper or the Spurs, it was Bronny James and the Lakers waiting as the challengers for Flagg. And the game was worth the hype as the action continued until the last second.
According to TickPick, tickets for Flagg’s summer league debut were the most expensive in the event’s history, with lower bowl seats selling for $650 and courtside tickets costing $2,500. Apparently, fans outside the Thomas & Mack Center started queuing up from 5.45 am. Even though it was an 87-85 win for Dallas, the struggles for their rookie were imminent.
Cooper Flagg scored 10 points in his unofficial debut as a Maverick. He wasn’t especially efficient, connecting on only 5 of 21 shots. Even the Maine native admitted to his struggles. “Not up to my standard. But I’m going to regroup. I’m going be all right. Um, you know, it was new feeling, new environment, new teammates. But, you know, the guys held it down. You know, Miles, Ryan, they were amazing tonight. Max, um, all they were great tonight. So, you know, just, you know, they had my back. You know, I didn’t have my best game. Um, but I’m going just keep going forward.”
It was not just teammates supporting the Duke graduate on the court. Even opponent on the court, the Lakers guard, Bronny James, shared his experience on defending Flagg and what he brings to the table. “You know, he’s just a quick powerful big. So, you know, we got to do everything we can to, you know, stop him and slow him down. But he’s a great player. He’s going to get his sometimes. So, you know, just got to do a great job and stop him down.”
This is a developing story…
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