On the first attempt, Bronny ended up fouling Flagg, so the Mavericks had the ball to inbound on the sideline. The ESPN cameras zoomed in on the Lakers' second-year guard and the Dallas No. 1 overall pick having a quick conversation.

The Los Angeles Lakers guard, 20, took to Instagram to shout out a series of Whitfield's images showing off her favorite seasonal highlights

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.

Dallas Mavericks' Cooper Flagg made his NBA Summer League debut vs. the Los Angeles Lakers and guard Bronny James in Las Vegas. Flagg was unimpressed with his own performance but Bronny commented on F

Traditionally, the marquee game on the opening night of summer league features the No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks from the draft playing against each other, but not this year. The NBA scheduled a matchup with Flagg squaring off against the son of the league's all-time leading scorer, LeBron James.

After a quick glance at the up-and-coming Mavericks roster, one thing is clear: this team boasts a wealth of proven veteran talent and experience. Players like Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, and Kyrie Irving will serve as valuable mentors for the younger players to learn from — as they should,

Some NBA players might have been discouraged if they were nothing more than an end-of-the-bench player who averaged 2.3 points per game during their rookie season, but Bronny James is instead focused on earning more playing time by being a "defensive menace.