The Las Vegas Summer League kicked off with a bang as the Lakers took on the Mavericks for their first game of the tournament. With Bronny James going up against Cooper Flagg, the young Lakers guard showcased his potential by locking up the No.

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.

The best of them was French point guard Nolan Traore, who looked like a guy who has played against men before (he played professionally in France last year) and was comfortable, finishing with 13 points on 3-of-5 shooting and getting to the line six times. It was a promising start.

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

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.