On Sunday night, the injury-ravaged Los Angeles Lakers led by the ageless LeBron James faced the upward-trending Dallas Mavericks which boast the services of star rookie Cooper Flagg. As things stand, it looks as though the Mavericks will be getting the win over the Lakers, with Flagg, who's been on a tear as of late, one-upping the 41-year-old superstar by recording 43 points as a follow-up to his 51-point masterclass a few days ago.

Nonetheless, James, who's suddenly been thrust into first-option duties for the Lakers with the injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, is doing his best to prop up his shorthanded squad. Trying to go band for band with Flagg, James recorded 22 points in the first half alone, nearly matching the Mavericks star's 26 points through the first 24 minutes of game time.

In so doing, the two stars made history. According to the official NBA account on X (formerly Twitter), Sunday night marked the first time in the history of the league that a man 40 years of age or older and a teenager scored at least 20 points in a single game.

Flagg won't be turning 20 years of age until December of this year, and he's already dominating the opposition in the association. This feels almost like a passing of the torch moment, with the Mavericks star following in James' footsteps.

Lakers, Mavericks trend in opposite directions to end 2025-26 regular season

Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) controls the ball as Los Angeles Lakers guard Luke Kennard (10) defends during the first quarter at American Airlines Center.
Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Lakers could scarcely have had a worse week; their championship hopes appear to be all but gone after Doncic and Reaves' injury. Meanwhile, the Mavericks look like they're going to be a force to be reckoned with for years to come, if only due to Flagg's presence.

These two franchises will forever be intertwined after the Mavericks traded Doncic to the Lakers in a bombshell move during the 2025 NBA trade deadline season.