The shorthanded Los Angeles Lakers couldn't pick up a much-needed win over the Dallas Mavericks, losing 134-128 to the already-eliminated franchise. LeBron James resumed his duties as the team's No. 1 option after a long time and put on a fantastic performance (30 PTS, 9 REB, 15 AST), but he wasn't the best player on the floor tonight.
Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg put up 45 points (14-27 FG), nine rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and a block to lead his franchise to a win in a masterful performance.
Flagg is making his case for Rookie of the Year stronger with these performances, and this win is going to go down as one of the biggest highlights of his rookie year, especially because it came opposite James.
James was full of praise for Flagg after the game, speaking to reporters and saying he was a fan of the 19-year-old phenom.
"(He's) been in a zone over the last couple of games. But also just been playing consistent basketball all year. It's great to see him from early in the season to where he is today. That's great. As a fan of him and a fan of the game."
James also spoke extensively about Flagg's development from his high school days all the way to now in the NBA, highlighting how his love for the game is pushing him to work harder and improve as a player.
"He's obviously special. I've seen that all the way back in his AAU days when he was coming up the ranks, when he was playing with his team out in Maine. Knew he was special from then. He's taken what he was doing at home, in the AAU circuit, at Duke, and now here, he's getting better and better. He loves the game, and he's putting in the work and has gotten better."
James also spoke on the parallels between his arrival in the NBA and Flagg's, discussing Jason Kidd's decision to play Flagg as a point guard this season.
“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. That’s what Paul Silas, rest his soul, did for me. In my rookie year, I basically stared at PG early on. He allowed me to make mistakes and read tough defenses … so, I see similarities in that on the basketball floor. Off the court, it’s a little different.
Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
James had a great performance, but Flagg single-handedly gave Dallas the winning edge tonight. It's not discrediting James' greatness, but highlighting what this rookie sensation is capable of.
Flagg is averaging 21.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists this season. While he won't have postseason basketball to look forward to, he can use the Mavericks' final four games of the season to make his case for Rookie of the Year stronger in the face of heated competition from former Duke teammate, Kon Knueppel, on the Charlotte Hornets.
James' glowing remarks on Flagg go to show that the No. 1 pick in the 2025 Draft is delivering on the huge potential everyone's heaped on him since he was in high school.
Given the rapid strides of development we've seen in his rookie season, everyone should be excited for what next season brings, especially with Kyrie Irving returning to the Mavericks roster.
