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Cooper Flag One of the most hypes in NBA history these days, he says that hype hasn’t always been there.
Duke Phenom and predicted the first pick in the upcoming NBA Draft Associated Press It was said, growing up, he would never achieve his basketball goals.
Flag said the doubt was where he came from.
“There are people who grew up in Maine who told me they would never reach the next level or play Division I basketball because they were from Maine and no one was playing. “I don’t think it’s the message where you came from. As long as you work hard, trust yourself, and trust your abilities, you can really achieve anything.”
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Duke’s Cooper Flag wipes his face at a press conference after losing to Houston in the national semi-finals in San Antonio on April 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
There are few basketball stars from main. Miami Heat player Duncan Robinson was born in Maine, but he grew up in New Hampshire and was not drafted in the 2018 draft.
The most well-known player to emerge from Maine was former Olympic gold medalist Jeff Turner, who played for Vanderbilt in the early 1980s and played in the NBA from 1984-96. However, he was out of the NBA from 1986-89 while playing for Italy.
Flag is expected to become the most talented basketball player to come out of the state in its history.
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Duke’s Cooper Flag responds on the bench after being accidentally slammed in the face in the first half of his match against Florida State in Durham, North Carolina on March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben McKeun)
Flag led Duke this season in almost all stats categories including points (709), rebounds (278), assists (155), steel (52) and blocks per game (1.4). He averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steel, but his best show came in January when he set the ACC Freshman Record with a 42-point performance against Notre Dame.
Flaggg appeared in the semi-finals of the NCAA Tournament and was named the winner of the 2025 Naismith Player of the Year Award, becoming the fourth freshman to win the honor.
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Duke Blue Devils Guard Cooper Flag before the match against Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. (image)
“It doesn’t matter where you came from,” Flag said Wednesday at the Draft Combine. “If you have a goal, if you have a dream and you put your heart on it… I honestly said, it wasn’t real for me until I was in high school, but I always loved the game of basketball. I’ve always worked.
Dallas Mavericks It is expected to draft the flag after winning the first pick in the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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