Cooper Flagg facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Cooper Flagg

Flagg with Duke in 2025
No. 32 – Dallas Mavericks
Shooting guard / small forward
Personal information
Born	(2006-12-21) December 21, 2006 (age 18) Newport, Maine, U.S.
High school	Nokomis Regional (Newport, Maine) Montverde Academy (Montverde, Florida)
Listed height	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight	225 lb (102 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
National college player of the year (2025) Consensus first-team All-American (2025) Lute Olson Award (2025) Julius Erving Award (2025) Wayman Tisdale Award (2025) NABC Freshman of the Year (2025) ACC Player of the Year (2025) First-team All-ACC (2025) ACC Rookie of the Year (2025) ACC All-Defensive team (2025) ACC All-Freshman Team (2025) National high school player of the year (2024) McDonald's All-American (2024) Gatorade National Men's Athlete of the Year (2024) USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year (2022)
Medals Men's basketball Representing the  United States FIBA Under-17 World Cup Gold 2022 Spain Team

Cooper Flagg, born on December 21, 2006, is a talented American professional basketball player. He plays for the Dallas Mavericks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Cooper started his high school basketball journey in Maine. Later, he moved to a special sports school in Florida. There, he became one of the best high school players in the country. He was even named the top player in his graduating class. After high school, Cooper played one amazing year of college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils. He was recognized as one of the best college players in the nation. The Mavericks chose him as the very first player in the 2025 NBA draft.

Cooper Flagg's Early Life and High School Basketball Journey

Cooper Flagg grew up in Newport, Maine. He first went to Nokomis Regional High School. As a freshman, he made history by becoming the first ninth-grader to win the Maine Gatorade Player of the Year award. He played incredibly well, averaging 20.5 points, 10 rebounds, and many assists, steals, and blocks per game. His team, Nokomis, even won the state championship! Cooper scored 22 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in the final game.

After his freshman year, Cooper moved to Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida. This school is famous for its sports programs. Before starting there, he played in a special league called the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) with a team called Maine United. Cooper was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the 2023 Hoophall Classic. He scored 21 points and had great stats in that game. In his first year at Montverde, he averaged 9.8 points and 5.2 rebounds.

Later, he played for Maine United again in the EYBL's Peach Jam tournament. He showed amazing skills, averaging 25.4 points, 13 rebounds, and nearly 7 blocks per game. After his sophomore year, Cooper decided to "reclassify." This means he moved up a year in the recruiting process, joining the 2024 class instead of 2025.

In his final high school season, Cooper was chosen for the 2024 McDonald's All-American Boys Game. He also won the Gatorade National Player of the Year award. He was named Mr. Basketball USA and the Naismith Prep Player of the Year. Cooper averaged 16.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game. He led his team, the Montverde Eagles, to a perfect season with 34 wins and no losses. They also won their eighth national championship!

Cooper Flagg's College Recruiting Journey

After his freshman year, Cooper was seen as one of the top basketball players for the 2025 college class. His amazing performance at the 2022 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup helped him move up to the second-best recruit. He even got his first college scholarship offer when he was only in eighth grade! It came from Bryant University.

Cooper decided to join the 2024 recruiting class after his sophomore year. On October 30, 2023, he announced he would play for the Duke Blue Devils. He had also thought about playing for UConn. Cooper had planned to share his decision a few days earlier. However, he delayed it due to important events happening in his home state of Maine. On November 8, 2023, Cooper officially signed his commitment to Duke. He ended up being the top-ranked recruit in the entire 2024 class.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes

Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Cooper Flagg SF	Newport, ME	Montverde Academy (FL)	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	Oct 30, 2023
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 97
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 1  247Sports: 1  ESPN: 1
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources:

Cooper Flagg's College Basketball Season at Duke

Cooper Flagg started at Duke University in June 2024. He joined the Blue Devils for their summer practices. His first college game was on November 4, 2024, against Maine. He scored 18 points and had seven rebounds, helping Duke win 96–62. Soon after, he was named the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Rookie of the Week.

Cooper had many impressive games. On December 31, he scored 24 points against Virginia Tech. On January 4, 2025, he achieved a "double-double" with 24 points and 11 rebounds against SMU.

One of his most amazing games was on January 11, 2025, against Notre Dame. Cooper scored a record-breaking 42 points! He also had six rebounds and seven assists. This performance set new scoring records for a freshman at Duke and in the ACC. He continued to shine, scoring 28 points against Boston College and NC State. He also had a great game against Duke's big rival, North Carolina, scoring 21 points. Cooper became the first ACC player in 25 years to reach over 500 points, 100 assists, and 30 blocks in a regular season.

Cooper helped the Blue Devils win the ACC regular season title. They had an amazing record of 19 wins and only 1 loss in conference play. In the ACC Tournament, Cooper had to leave a game due to a sprained ankle. Even without him, Duke won the ACC tournament championship!

Duke entered the NCAA Tournament as a top team. They won their first two games against Mount St. Mary's and Baylor. Cooper scored 30 points in a Sweet 16 win against Arizona. He also helped Duke win in the Elite Eight against Alabama. Their amazing season ended in the Final Four, where they lost a close game to Houston. After this incredible freshman year, Cooper decided to enter the 2025 NBA draft.

He was named the ACC Player of the Year and the ACC Rookie of the Year. He is one of only a few players in ACC history to win both awards in the same season.

Cooper Flagg's Professional Basketball Career

Joining the Dallas Mavericks (2025–Present)

Cooper Flagg was chosen as the very first player in the 2025 NBA draft. He was picked by the Dallas Mavericks. This means he will now play professional basketball in the NBA!

Cooper Flagg Representing Team USA

Cooper Flagg has also played for his country. He was part of the U.S. Under-17 basketball team at the 2022 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup. He played so well that he was named to the All-Tournament Team. The U.S. team won the gold medal! In the final game against Spain, Cooper scored 10 points, grabbed 17 rebounds, and had eight steals.

Because of his amazing performance, Cooper was named the 2022 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year. He is the youngest player ever to receive this special award. Cooper was also chosen to practice with the U.S. men's national team as they got ready for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Cooper Flagg's Basketball Stats

Here are some of Cooper Flagg's college basketball statistics:

College Stats

Cooper Flagg's Family and Interests

Basketball runs in Cooper's family! His mother, Kelly, played college basketball at Maine. His father, Ralph, also played college basketball. Cooper has a twin brother named Ace. Ace played basketball with Cooper at Nokomis and Montverde. Ace has also decided to play college basketball at Maine. Cooper also has an older brother, Hunter, who played basketball. Cooper's family moved from Maine to Florida when he and Ace transferred to Montverde Academy.

Before starting at Duke, Cooper signed a special deal with New Balance shoes. He chose New Balance because the company has factories close to his hometown in Maine. He also made history by becoming the first male college basketball player to be sponsored by Gatorade.

See also

In Spanish: Cooper Flagg para niños

• List of All-Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball teams