Cooper Flagg is on the verge of changing into the subsequent massive title within the NBA.
Not unhealthy for a child from Maine who grew up criss-crossing one among America’s most distant states simply to show that he was a authentic basketball participant.
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Flagg has already wowed Workforce USA and been hyped as the USA’ greatest basketball prospect since LeBron James.
And he simply turned the primary freshman in NCAA Event historical past with 25 factors, 5 assists and three blocks in a recreation.
Flagg’s 30-point outburst in Duke’s 100-93 Candy 16 win over Arizona solely pushed him nearer to the NBA.
“That’s among the best event performances I’ve ever coached or been part of,” Blue Devils coach Jon Scheyer mentioned.
No. 1-seed Duke is about to play No. 2 Alabama on Saturday within the Elite Eight for the East Area’s spot within the Closing 4 in San Antonio.
Flagg has been constructing towards this second for years, and he was initially doubted as a child.
“Once I was youthful, it felt like individuals would simply shoot me down,” Flagg advised DraftExpress.
“I felt like being only a child from Maine, individuals have been simply form of underestimating me and telling me that it wasn’t potential.”
Duke’s star recruit is a reminder that the Blue Devils was an annual NCAA Event powerhouse.
The 6ft 9in and 205lb freshman is already the anticipated No. 1 general choose within the June NBA Draft, and can observe San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama on The Affiliation’s hype listing.
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However Flagg wasn’t The Chosen One or a 7ft 4in ‘alien’ from France.
He was found within the third grade.
He grew up touring hours in Maine simply to attend a basketball follow.
And with the closest NBA group greater than 200 miles away, Flagg first linked with professional basketball behind a mini-van.
“We’re enormous Celtics followers,” Kelly Flagg, Cooper’s mother, advised NESN.
“We used to observe movie on the Celtics with the older guys – (Larry) Chook, (Kevin) McHale, (Robert) Parish, (Danny) Ainge.
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“We purchased the children the 1985-86 Celtics DVD set. That was Cooper’s Christmas current when he was eight.
“Once we traveled to AAU occasions down right here in Massachusetts, it could play in our van.”
Virtually a decade later, Flagg continues to be impressed by Larry Legend, who rivaled Magic Johnson because the NBA’s greatest participant within the Eighties and set the stage for Michael Jordan.
“I watched plenty of motion pictures and stuff on him (Chook), and outdated championship video games,” Flagg mentioned.
Chook, the Hick from French Lick, gained three NBA championships and made 12 All-Star groups with Boston.
Whereas Flagg shares an identical background to among the best gamers in Celtics historical past, a connection to a present Boston world champion offered a path to Duke and past.
“The primary (NBA) draft that I actually appeared again to and have a vivid reminiscence of watching was most likely (Jayson) Tatum’s (2017) draft,” Flagg mentioned.
“I bear in mind the place I used to be watching it, at my outdated home in Maine with my household on the sofa.
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“I had the sensation for the primary time of watching that draft, the place I can begin to see a highway map of, ‘That is the place I wish to get some day.’ “
“That is when the dream turned larger for me.”
Flagg scored 18 factors on 6-of-15 taking pictures in his Duke debut, grabbing seven rebounds whereas including 5 assists and three steals in a 96-62 house blowout of Maine.
After first drawing consideration in a sixth-grade recreation — throwing a move as a third-grader that displayed expertise past his years — Flagg is anticipated to turn into the subsequent one-and-done star to leap into the NBA.
He stole the present in Las Vegas final summer season whereas a few of the greatest basketball gamers on this planet ready for the 2024 Summer time Olympics in Paris.
Video footage from a scrimmage confirmed Flagg taking part in with supreme confidence as he shook off defenders, unleashed highly effective dunks and drilled long-range pictures.
“He gonna be an issue for certain when he enters the league,” one fan tweeted.
“This child goes to be particular,” a second fan posted. “Him and Wemby are going to run the league.”
Regardless of solely being a month faraway from highschool commencement, Flagg appeared NBA prepared with Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant watching up shut.
“He desires to be nice,” Devin Booker mentioned.
“Unhealthy a**, chilly a**,” Kevin Garnett added.
The 18-year-old Flagg has already developed from a third-grader beating sixth-graders right into a Chook admirer and Tatum follower.
The child from Maine who grew up watching Celtics highlights in a mini-van is nearer than ever to creating his personal title within the NBA.