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Top draft pick Cooper Flagg will make his debut in a Dallas Mavericks uniform against Bronny James and the LA Lakers in a Summer League game next month. It got fans excited and were quick to share their thoughts on social media.
The Mavericks play the LA Lakers on July 10 to open up the Las Vegas Summer League. The teams are expected to field their young players in the tournament, including Flagg and James, as well as those looking to land possible roster spots.
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Fans gave their takes on X/Twitter:
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"Bronny boutta welcome Cooper to the league," one fan said.
"Welcome this rook to the league Bronny," another fan wrote.
"Bronny giving Flagg a welcome to the NBA moment poster," a fan added.
"Not missing it under any circumstance," another fan commented.
"Never been more ecstatic to watch a Summer league game," one fan said.
"Absolute cinema," another fan wrote.
"Oh this is about to be good," a fan added.
Cooper Flagg was selected with the No. 1 pick in this year's NBA draft held on Wednesday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. A lot of eyes are on him as he is being touted as a key piece for a Mavericks team looking to regroup and move past the Luka Doncic era.
James, meanwhile, is gearing up for his second season in the NBA with the LA Lakers after a rookie campaign that saw him play limited minutes and split time in the G League as part of learning the ropes.
Cooper Flagg embracing expectations as top pick
Cooper Flagg is aware of the expectations that come with being the top draft pick. However, he has expressed his readiness for it, highlighting that he is sticking to what has worked for him all this time in handling it.
The Maine native spoke about it during media day for the draft:
“I wouldn’t look at anything as pressure. I’m just going to try and be myself all the time. I’m not worried about living up to certain players’ expectations or things like that.
“It’s definitely a lot of motivation. It’s a little bit of pressure — I feel like that comes with it. You get all the media, people having opinions on you and your life and everything about you. But for me, it’s a lot of motivation. Even bad things — hearing people talk about you is a good thing no matter what," he added.
Cooper Flagg is expected to be thrown in the fire in his rookie season as the Mavericks look to bounce back after missing the playoffs last campaign, a year after making it to the NBA Finals. The team is also out to move on from the backlash it received after trading Luka Doncic to the LA Lakers in February.
The former Duke star is joining a team now anchored by Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis and along with the likes of Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II, Naji Marshall, Max Christie and Spencer Dinwiddie.
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