Sunday night’s matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks was presented as a showdown between a veteran superstar and a rookie phenomenon. With LeBron James facing off against Cooper Flagg, the battle was bound to be of epic proportions.
Although the Lakers came up short, suffering a 134-128 loss, both LeBron James and Cooper Flagg delivered. While speaking with the media about the Flagg after the game, James was in awe of the Mavs’ rookie. While hesitantly acknowledging the similarities between himself and Flagg, James shared:
“I love what he’s doing. I love what he’s bringing to this franchise. He looks like he loves the game. He’s putting in the work. J-Kidd got a little scrutinized early on because they started him at PG at times. I thought that was unfair. I think it’s great to put the ball in somebody’s hands so they can just go through the rough patches; when you go through the rough patches, it allows you to grow at a rate faster than other players.”
James recalled his own experience of being shoved into uncharted territory by former Cavaliers head coach Paul Silas as a rookie and how it impacted his growth, suggesting that Flagg’s early struggles will only help him improve. So although LeBron James admitted to seeing some similarities on the court, he made sure to state that off the court, they were still different.
It is easy to gauge why LeBron James is so enamored by Cooper Flagg. On Sunday night, the two battled each other to a standstill, but Flagg eventually came out on top, posting 45 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists to lead the Mavs to victory.
Flagg’s performance against the Lakers was also special as it marked his second consecutive game with 40+ points, which includes a career-high 51 points in his previous outing against the Orlando Magic. With this, he became the first rookie since Allen Iverson to score 40+ points in back-to-back outings.
Cooper Flagg has been nothing short of dominant this season, boldly stating his case as ROTY with averages of 20.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. As the driving force behind the Mavericks in Sunday night’s win, the rookie showcased his potential as a franchise cornerstone and a future superstar.
Cooper Flagg In Awe Of LeBron James
As amazed as LeBron James was by Cooper Flagg’s potential, for the Mavs’ rookie, facing one of his idols was a different kind of experience. During his postgame media availability, Flagg shed light on what was going through his mind while going head-to-head with James.
“He’s somebody that, when I was a little kid watching him go through his whole career. It’s really impressive, obviously, first of all, just to watch him, seeing him be able to do the things that he’s still able to do out there. It’s a dream come true,” Flagg shared. “These are the moments, these are the times to be able to match up against somebody like that with the career that he’s had. He’s obviously one of the greatest, so it’s incredible.”
Flagg remained humble when asked whether his performance drove LeBron James to step things up a notch. But there is reason to believe this may be true.
Since returning from injury, James has famously embraced the role of the third option in the Lakers’ rotation. Unfortunately, due to injury concerns involving Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, the 41-year-old was forced to take over and lead the charge.
As the primary option, James held his own against the 19-year-old. With 30 points, nine rebounds, and 15 assists, the Lakers’ superstar kept the team’s hopes of winning alive. Unfortunately, the lack of support was evident.
Still, Cooper Flagg’s reaction is justified. At the time of his birth, James was already in his fourth season in the NBA. Having achieved a great many things in that time, including an ROTY award, two All-Star appearances, and two All-NBA selections, LeBron James effectively set the standard for “generational talents” coming into the NBA.
In that regard, Cooper Flagg finds himself following a similar path. Having already established himself as the face of the Dallas Mavericks, the franchise will also look to him to light the way forward.
