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

On the first attempt, Bronny ended up fouling Flagg, so the Mavericks had the ball to inbound on the sideline. The ESPN cameras zoomed in on the Lakers' second-year guard and the Dallas No. 1 overall pick having a quick conversation.

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.