Now this is a matchup that NBA fans have had circled on the calendar.
On Black Friday, the Los Angeles Lakers are set to host the Dallas Mavericks in an NBA Cup contest. The game will represent the first career matchup between No. 1 overall picks LeBron James and Cooper Flagg.
Coming out of college this year, Flagg was one of the most highly hyped prospects since James was coming out of high school way back in 2003. There have been other players who have generated a bunch of buzz before ever playing in an NBA game – Zion Williamson and Victor Wembanyama, to name a few – but Flagg probably tops the list.
Flagg was the consensus No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft before he played a single game at Duke, and when the Mavericks got the opportunity to use the top pick on Flagg, that’s exactly what they did.
How to watch first-ever meeting between LeBron James and Cooper Flagg
Now, Flagg will get to go head-to-head with James for the first time in a matchup that basketball fans won’t want to miss. Here’s all the information you need to make sure to catch the contest between the two stars:
What: Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Lakers
Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles
Start time: 10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT
TV/steaming: Prime Video
They haven’t played against each other yet, but James has already been very effusive when it comes to praise for Flagg.
“I personally think that he wants to be great,” James said of Flagg after he was drafted by Dallas. “He had a hell of a year at Duke. A guy that can do so many different things out on the floor. Can play with the ball, can play without the ball. His jump shot is going to continue to get better. Super athletic, quick second jump. … So, I think he’s going to be amazing.”
That James is even still around to play in a game against the top pick from 2025 is a testament to his unbelievable longevity.
The matchup with Flagg and Dallas will be just the fourth game of the season for James, who was sidelined for the first few weeks due to sciatica. Meanwhile, Flagg has appeared in 18 games for the Mavs thus far and posted averages of 15.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.3 steals per performance.
