Cooper Flagg outduels LeBron James, makes another Rookie of the Year statement

DALLAS — On his way out of American Airlines Center on Sunday, LeBron James and Cooper Flagg exchanged a hug.Flagg, who tallied 45 points, eight rebounds and nine assists, had just outdueled James in the Dallas Mavericks’ 134-128 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Before finding the exit, James decided to show respect to a teenage rookie who, in many ways, is going through a similar experience to the one the NBA’s all-time leading scorer lived 22 years ago.Like Flagg, James was a No. 1 NBA draft pick who entered the league at 18 years old.Advertisement