Cooper Flagg facts for kids
Flagg with Duke in 2025
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| No. 32 – Dallas Mavericks | ||||||||||||||
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| Small forward | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
| Born | December 21, 2006 Newport, Maine, U.S. |
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| High school |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 205 lb (93 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College | Duke (2024–2025) | |||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2025 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Dallas Mavericks | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2025–present | |||||||||||||
| League | NBA | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 2025–present | Dallas Mavericks | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Cooper Flagg (born December 21, 2006) is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the Dallas Mavericks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Cooper started his high school basketball journey in Newport, Maine. Later, he moved to Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida. There, he became one of the best high school players in the country.
Cooper was considered the top young player joining college basketball in 2024. He played for the Duke Blue Devils college team. As a freshman, he was named an All-American and the best college player in the nation. The Dallas Mavericks picked him as the very first player in the 2025 NBA draft.
Contents
Cooper's Early Life and High School Basketball
Cooper Flagg was born in Newport, Maine. He first went to Nokomis Regional High School. As a freshman, he was the first player ever from Maine to win the Gatorade Player of the Year award. He averaged 20.5 points, 10 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 3.7 steals, and 3.7 blocks per game. Cooper led Nokomis to win the Class A state championship. In the final game against Falmouth High School, he scored 22 points and grabbed 16 rebounds.
After his freshman year, Cooper moved to Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida. Before his first year there, he played for the Florida Eagles. This was an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team linked to Montverde. In 2023, Cooper was named the MVP of the Hoophall Classic. He scored 21 points, had five steals, five rebounds, and three assists in a big win. He also became a top candidate for the Naismith Prep Player of the Year Award. In his first season at Montverde, he averaged 9.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and three assists per game.
After that season, he played for Maine United in the EYBL league. At the Peach Jam tournament, he averaged 25.4 points, 13 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 6.9 blocks in seven games. After his sophomore year, Cooper decided to join the 2024 group of players for college.
Cooper was chosen to play in the 2024 McDonald's All-American Boys Game. On March 27, 2024, he was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year. He also won the Mr. Basketball USA and Naismith Prep Player of the Year awards. In his final high school season, he averaged 16.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.7 blocks per game. He helped his team, the Eagles, have a perfect 34–0 record and win their eighth national title.
Choosing a College Team
After his freshman year, Cooper was ranked as the third-best player in the 2025 group of recruits. In August 2022, he moved up to the second-best recruit after playing well in the 2022 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup. Cooper received his first college scholarship offer from Bryant when he was in eighth grade.
Cooper changed his graduation year to 2024 after his sophomore year. On October 30, 2023, he announced he would play for Duke. He had also thought about playing for UConn. Cooper had planned to announce his decision earlier. However, he waited because of the 2023 Lewiston shootings in his home state of Maine. He officially signed with Duke on November 8, 2023. Cooper ended up being the highest-ranked player in the 2024 recruiting class.
Cooper's College Basketball Career
Cooper started at Duke University in June 2024. This allowed him to join the Blue Devils' summer practices. He played his first college game on November 4, 2024, against Maine. He scored 18 points, had seven rebounds, five assists, and three steals in a 96–62 win. On November 18, he was named the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) rookie of the week. On December 31, he scored 24 points, six assists, and four steals in a win over Virginia Tech. On January 4, 2025, Cooper had a "double-double" (24 points and 11 rebounds) against SMU.
Cooper had an amazing game against Notre Dame on January 11, 2025. He scored 42 points, grabbed six rebounds, and made seven assists. He shot very well, making 11 of 14 shots from the field. This game set new scoring records for a freshman at both Duke University and in the ACC. On January 18, Cooper scored 28 points and five rebounds against Boston College. On January 25, 2025, he scored 24 points, seven rebounds, and six assists against Wake Forest. Two days later, on January 27, Cooper scored 28 points and seven rebounds against NC State.
On February 1, Cooper had 21 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists in a win against their big rival, North Carolina. On February 12, he scored 27 points and five rebounds against California. On February 17, Cooper had another double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds against Virginia. He became the first player in the ACC in 25 years to have over 500 points, 100 assists, and 30 blocks in the regular season. On March 3, Cooper scored 28 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists against Wake Forest.
Cooper helped the Blue Devils win the ACC regular season title. Duke finished with a 19–1 record in conference games. On March 13, 2025, Duke beat Georgia Tech 78–70 in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals. Cooper had to leave that game because of a sprained ankle. This injury made him miss the rest of the tournament. On March 15, Duke won the ACC tournament championship game, beating Louisville 73–62.
Cooper and Duke entered the NCAA Tournament as the top team in their region. They beat Mount St. Mary's and Baylor in the first two rounds. On March 27, Cooper scored 30 points, six rebounds, and seven assists in a win over Arizona in the Sweet 16. On March 29, he added 16 points and nine rebounds in a victory against Alabama in the Elite Eight. On April 5, Cooper scored 27 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks in a close 70–67 loss to Houston in the Final Four. After his freshman season, Cooper decided to enter the 2025 NBA draft. This meant he would not play more college basketball.
He was named the ACC Player of the Year and ACC Rookie of the Year. Cooper joined a special group of players, including Zion Williamson, Marvin Bagley III, and Jahlil Okafor. They are the only players in ACC history to win both awards in the same season.
Cooper's Professional Basketball Career
Dallas Mavericks (2025–present)
The Dallas Mavericks chose Cooper Flagg as the very first player picked in the 2025 NBA draft. He officially signed with the team on July 2, 2025.
Playing for the National Team
Cooper Flagg played for the United States under-17 basketball team in the 2022 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup. He was chosen for the All-Tournament Team. He averaged 9.3 points, 10 rebounds, 2.9 blocks, and 2.4 steals per game. The United States team won the gold medal. In the final game against Spain, Cooper scored 10 points, had 17 rebounds, eight steals, and four blocks. He was named the 2022 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year for his great play. He is the youngest player ever to win this award.
Cooper was also picked to join the USA Select Team. This team practices with the United States men's national team. They helped the main team get ready for the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Career Statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | Duke | 37 | 37 | 30.7 | .481 | .385 | .840 | 7.5 | 4.2 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 19.2 |
Personal Life
Cooper's mother, Kelly, played college basketball at Maine. She was a team captain in her senior year. His father, Ralph, played college basketball at Eastern Maine Community College. Cooper has a twin brother named Ace. Ace played basketball with Cooper at Nokomis and Montverde. Ace has decided to play at Maine starting in 2025–26. Cooper's older brother, Hunter, also played basketball at Nokomis. Their family moved from Newport to Florida after Cooper and Ace transferred to Montverde Academy.
Cooper signed a shoe deal with New Balance before his freshman year at Duke. He chose New Balance because the company has factories near his hometown in Maine. He also became the first male college basketball player to be sponsored by Gatorade.
See also
In Spanish: Cooper Flagg para niños
