LeBron James has managed to stand the test of time and play long enough to see the next wave of NBA stars aiming to take his place. In the Los Angeles Lakers’ matchup against the Dallas Mavericks, James faced off against the next potential face of the league in Cooper Flagg.
The Dallas Mavericks may have traded away Luka Doncic, but Flagg’s stepped in and given the organization hope that their rebuild won’t last too long. Flagg has picked up his play in the second half of his rookie year, dueling with James in the primetime slot.
Both James and Flagg led their respective teams offensively and wound up making scoring history in the first half on Sunday night.
LeBron and Cooper only needed a half to make history! pic.twitter.com/2NGEDvvTQX
— NBA on NBC and Peacock (@NBAonNBC) April 6, 2026
Flagg wound up finishing with an impressive 45 points, eight rebounds and nine assists, while James led the Lakers with 30 points, nine rebounds and 15 assists.
Flagg entered the game coming off a 50-point performance and he remained hot against the Lakers, scoring 19 points in the first quarter to put Dallas up by double digits. However, James was able to respond with his own burst in the second period and poured in 16 points to keep Los Angeles within striking distance.
The fact that it only took one half for James and Flagg to make NBA history speaks to how talented both players are. James and Flagg both started the 2025-26 season in precarious positions, but have picked things up of late.
Despite James’ heroics, he was unable to lead Los Angeles over Flagg and Dallas, though it was a tough game given the recent injuries to Austin Reaves and Doncic. While the loss stings, James sent a reminder to the league that he’s perfectly capable of putting on his cape and keeping the purple and gold afloat but multiple players are going to need to help out in the meantime.
LeBron James: Lakers can’t replace Luka Doncic
Doncic was in the midst of arguably the best season of his career and was a leading candidate in the MVP race before suffering a Grade 2 left hamstring strain. The Lakers were blown out by the Oklahoma City Thunder, but more importantly lost Doncic for the remainder of the regular season and beyond.
Without Doncic, James will have to assume the role of Los Angeles’ primary ball handler and scorer. However, James emphasized that the team can’t replace Doncic and that he and the rest of the roster need to pick up the slack.
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