Cooper Flagg discusses how his background growing up in Maine is informing his NBA career with the Dallas Mavericks.
DALLAS — Cooper Flagg’s road to the NBA wasn’t typical. The kid from small-town Maine has been chasing a dream that forced him to grow up faster than most — and his story is just getting started in Dallas.
At 15, Flagg left home to attend Florida’s powerhouse prep school Montverde Academy, the same place that helped launch NBA stars like Ben Simmons and Cade Cunningham.
It was a huge leap for a teenager still figuring out who he was.
“Moving away from home at a young age, just learning how to live on your own,” Flagg said. “It’s not always going to be perfect. I went through times where I struggled at living on my own and doing different things that my parents used to do for me back home. Just living through failure and learning from it.”
Those lessons stuck, especially the ones he learned long before Montverde, from his parents back in Maine. Both were college basketball players. His mom, Kelly, starred at Division I Maine, while his dad, Ralph, also played in college.
Together, they instilled the drive that continues to fuel his rise. “I think just the competitiveness,” Flagg said. “My parents are both really competitive. They always used to compete with us in basketball — or really anything, even yard games. That competitive spirit from a young age helped me get to where I am.”
That fire carried Flagg through his lone season at Duke, where he emerged as the nation’s best player and one of college basketball’s most electric competitors. When NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called his name as the No. 1 overall pick, there was no doubt he was ready — and the Dallas Mavericks were ecstatic to welcome their new cornerstone.
It didn’t take long for Flagg to cross paths with Mavericks royalty. Shortly after the draft, he met franchise legend Dirk Nowitzki at a charity event.
“It was incredible,” Flagg said. “He’s obviously a Dallas legend. We didn’t get to talk too much, but just seeing how invested he is in Dallas and the Mavericks — that meant a lot. Hopefully, I’ll get to learn more from him soon.”
That’s exactly the kind of mindset Dallas fans hoped to see — a mix of humility, hunger and respect for those who came before him.
It’s a mindset that shows up in how Flagg defines a “winning play.”
“Anything that impacts the game in a positive way for your team,” he said. “It could be as simple as running the floor and opening up a corner three. Just anything that helps your team win.”
Flagg’s new teammate, Anthony Davis, has already seen enough to be convinced. “He’s way past any rookie I’ve seen in a long time,” Davis said. “He can ball. He’s ready.”
For the Mavericks, the timing couldn’t have been more dramatic. After last season’s stunning trade of Luka Doncic, Dallas needed a reset — and the franchise found it in Flagg. The comparisons will come, as they always do when a new star takes the stage, but he’s not running from them.
“Fair or not, there are going to be comparisons,” Flagg said. “For me, it’s about blocking that out. If I just play my game and be myself, everything will work itself out.”
That calm confidence has become his calling card. From the moment he left home as a teenager to chase a basketball dream, Cooper Flagg has met every challenge with maturity and competitive fire.
Now, under the bright lights of Dallas, those qualities are about to be tested on the biggest stage of all — because if his journey so far has proven anything, it’s that Cooper Flagg’s path is anything but ordinary.
