‘People were underestimating me’ – Cooper Flagg grew up watching Larry Bird DVDs in family minivan trips
Cooper Flagg is on the verge of becoming the next big name in the NBA. Not bad for a kid from Maine who grew up criss-crossing one of America’s most remote states just to prove that he was a legitimate basketball player. Cooper Flagg had to prove himself on the court as a kid Flagg has already wowed Team USA and been hyped as the United States’ best basketball prospect since LeBron James. And he just became the first freshman in NCAA Tournament history with 25 points, five assists and three blocks in a game. Flagg’s 30-point outburst in Duke’s 100-93 Sweet 16 win over Arizona only pushed him closer to the NBA. “That’s one of the best tournament performances I’ve ever coached or been a part of,” Blue Devils coach Jon Scheyer said. No. 1-seed Duke is set to play No. 2 Alabama on Saturday in the Elite Eight for the East Region’s spot in the Final Four in San Antonio. Flagg has been building toward this moment for years, and he was initially doubted as a kid. “When I was younger, it felt like people would just shoot me down,” Flagg told DraftExpress. “I felt like being just a kid from Maine, people were just kind of underestimating me and telling me that it wasn’t possible.” Duke’s star recruit is a reminder that the Blue Devils used to be an annual NCAA Tournament powerhouse. The 6ft 9in and 205lb freshman is already the expected No. 1 overall pick in the June NBA Draft, and will follow San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama on The Association’s hype list. GettyFlagg can do it all on the hardwood and is only 18[/caption] GettyHe’s already competed against LeBron James[/caption] GettyFlagg grew up admiring Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird[/caption] But Flagg wasn’t The Chosen One or a 7ft 4in ‘alien’ from France. He was discovered in the third grade. He grew up traveling hours in Maine just to attend a basketball practice. And with the closest NBA team more than 200 miles away, Flagg first connected with pro basketball in the back of a mini-van. “We’re huge Celtics fans,” Kelly Flagg, Cooper’s mom, told NESN. “We used to watch film on the Celtics with the older guys – (Larry) Bird, (Kevin) McHale, (Robert) Parish, (Danny) Ainge. March Madness Top Stories Ranking the greatest players in NCAA men’s March Madness history – from Michael Jordan to Magic Johnson ‘This sister is special’ – Stephen A. Smith identifies rising star who can challenge Caitlin Clark’s WNBA dominance March Madness legends who are still balling in NBA today – from Steph Curry to Ja Morant NCAA March Madness is bigger and better than the College Football Playoff – the springtime phenomenon is bigger than ever Biggest March Madness upsets in history of NCAA Tournament – top seeds humiliated as small schools enjoy their moment “We bought the kids the 1985-86 Celtics DVD set. That was Cooper’s Christmas present when he was eight. “When we traveled to AAU events down here in Massachusetts, it would play in our van.” Almost a decade later, Flagg is still inspired by Larry Legend, who rivaled Magic Johnson as the NBA’s best player in the 1980s and set the stage for Michael Jordan. “I watched a lot of movies and stuff on him (Bird), and old championship games,” Flagg said. Bird, the Hick from French Lick, won three NBA championships and made 12 All-Star teams with Boston. While Flagg shares a similar background to one of the best players in Celtics history, a connection to a current Boston world champion provided a path to Duke and beyond. “The first (NBA) draft that I really looked back to and have a vivid memory of watching was probably (Jayson) Tatum’s (2017) draft,” Flagg said. “I remember where I was watching it, at my old house in Maine with my family on the couch. He’s able to pass like a pro but can also dunk with intensityGetty “I had the feeling for the first time of watching that draft, where I can start to see a road map of, ‘This is where I want to get some day.’ “ “That’s when the dream became bigger for me.” Flagg scored 18 points on 6-of-15 shooting in his Duke debut, grabbing seven rebounds while adding five assists and three steals in a 96-62 home blowout of Maine. After first drawing attention in a sixth-grade game — throwing a pass as a third-grader that displayed talent beyond his years — Flagg is expected to become the next one-and-done star to leap into the NBA. He stole the show in Las Vegas last summer while some of the best basketball players in the world prepared for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Video footage from a scrimmage showed Flagg playing with supreme confidence as he shook off defenders, unleashed powerful dunks and drilled long-range shots. “He gonna be a problem for sure when he enters the league,” one fan tweeted. “This kid is going to be special,” a second fan posted. “Him and W
Cooper Flagg is on the verge of becoming the next big name in the NBA.
Not bad for a kid from Maine who grew up criss-crossing one of America’s most remote states just to prove that he was a legitimate basketball player.
Flagg has already wowed Team USA and been hyped as the United States’ best basketball prospect since LeBron James.
And he just became the first freshman in NCAA Tournament history with 25 points, five assists and three blocks in a game.
Flagg’s 30-point outburst in Duke’s 100-93 Sweet 16 win over Arizona only pushed him closer to the NBA.
“That’s one of the best tournament performances I’ve ever coached or been a part of,” Blue Devils coach Jon Scheyer said.
No. 1-seed Duke is set to play No. 2 Alabama on Saturday in the Elite Eight for the East Region’s spot in the Final Four in San Antonio.
Flagg has been building toward this moment for years, and he was initially doubted as a kid.
“When I was younger, it felt like people would just shoot me down,” Flagg told DraftExpress.
“I felt like being just a kid from Maine, people were just kind of underestimating me and telling me that it wasn’t possible.”
Duke’s star recruit is a reminder that the Blue Devils used to be an annual NCAA Tournament powerhouse.
The 6ft 9in and 205lb freshman is already the expected No. 1 overall pick in the June NBA Draft, and will follow San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama on The Association’s hype list.
But Flagg wasn’t The Chosen One or a 7ft 4in ‘alien’ from France.
He was discovered in the third grade.
He grew up traveling hours in Maine just to attend a basketball practice.
And with the closest NBA team more than 200 miles away, Flagg first connected with pro basketball in the back of a mini-van.
“We’re huge Celtics fans,” Kelly Flagg, Cooper’s mom, told NESN.
“We used to watch film on the Celtics with the older guys – (Larry) Bird, (Kevin) McHale, (Robert) Parish, (Danny) Ainge.
March Madness Top Stories
Ranking the greatest players in NCAA men’s March Madness history – from Michael Jordan to Magic Johnson
‘This sister is special’ – Stephen A. Smith identifies rising star who can challenge Caitlin Clark’s WNBA dominance
March Madness legends who are still balling in NBA today – from Steph Curry to Ja Morant
NCAA March Madness is bigger and better than the College Football Playoff – the springtime phenomenon is bigger than ever
Biggest March Madness upsets in history of NCAA Tournament – top seeds humiliated as small schools enjoy their moment
“We bought the kids the 1985-86 Celtics DVD set. That was Cooper’s Christmas present when he was eight.
“When we traveled to AAU events down here in Massachusetts, it would play in our van.”
Almost a decade later, Flagg is still inspired by Larry Legend, who rivaled Magic Johnson as the NBA’s best player in the 1980s and set the stage for Michael Jordan.
“I watched a lot of movies and stuff on him (Bird), and old championship games,” Flagg said.
Bird, the Hick from French Lick, won three NBA championships and made 12 All-Star teams with Boston.
While Flagg shares a similar background to one of the best players in Celtics history, a connection to a current Boston world champion provided a path to Duke and beyond.
“The first (NBA) draft that I really looked back to and have a vivid memory of watching was probably (Jayson) Tatum’s (2017) draft,” Flagg said.
“I remember where I was watching it, at my old house in Maine with my family on the couch.
“I had the feeling for the first time of watching that draft, where I can start to see a road map of, ‘This is where I want to get some day.’ “
“That’s when the dream became bigger for me.”
Flagg scored 18 points on 6-of-15 shooting in his Duke debut, grabbing seven rebounds while adding five assists and three steals in a 96-62 home blowout of Maine.
After first drawing attention in a sixth-grade game — throwing a pass as a third-grader that displayed talent beyond his years — Flagg is expected to become the next one-and-done star to leap into the NBA.
He stole the show in Las Vegas last summer while some of the best basketball players in the world prepared for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Video footage from a scrimmage showed Flagg playing with supreme confidence as he shook off defenders, unleashed powerful dunks and drilled long-range shots.
“He gonna be a problem for sure when he enters the league,” one fan tweeted.
“This kid is going to be special,” a second fan posted. “Him and Wemby are going to run the league.”
Despite only being a month removed from high school graduation, Flagg looked NBA ready with Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant watching up close.
“He wants to be great,” Devin Booker said.
“Bad a**, cold a**,” Kevin Garnett added.
The 18-year-old Flagg has already evolved from a third-grader beating sixth-graders into a Bird admirer and Tatum follower.
The kid from Maine who grew up watching Celtics highlights in a mini-van is closer than ever to making his own name in the NBA.
