Cooper Flagg Bio
Cooper Flagg is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. He was selected with the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Mavericks. Flagg comes to the NBA after an exceptional one-season college career at Duke University, where he earned consensus first-team All-American and consensus national player of the year honors as a freshman. The 19-year-old small forward stands 6 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 205 pounds. Flagg became the second-youngest player in NBA history to win Rookie of the Year, doing so in the 2025-26 season.
Early Life and Background
Cooper Flagg was born on December 21, 2006, in Newport, Maine. He grew up in New England as a fan of the Boston Celtics. Flagg comes from a basketball family. His mother, Kelly, played college basketball at the University of Maine and served as a team captain during her senior year. His father, Ralph, played basketball at the NJCAA level for Eastern Maine Community College. Flagg has a fraternal twin brother named Ace and an older brother named Hunter, both of whom played basketball at Nokomis Regional High School. The Flagg family relocated from Newport to Florida after Cooper and Ace transferred to Montverde Academy.
High School Career
Flagg began his high school career at Nokomis Regional High School in Newport, Maine. As a freshman, he became the first player in Maine Gatorade Player of the Year history to win the award in their first year, averaging 20.5 points, 10 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 3.7 steals, and 3.7 blocks per game. He led Nokomis to a Class A state championship, scoring 22 points and grabbing 16 rebounds in the 43-27 championship win over Falmouth High School. After his freshman year, Flagg transferred to Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida.
At Montverde, Flagg continued to develop into one of the nation’s top prospects. He averaged 9.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3 assists per game during his first season with the Eagles. In his senior year, he averaged 16.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.7 blocks per game while leading Montverde to a perfect 34-0 record and the program’s eighth national title. Flagg was named the national high school player of the year, Mr. Basketball USA, and Naismith Prep Player of the Year. He finished his high school career as the top-ranked prospect in the 2024 recruiting class.
College Commitment and Duke Career
Flagg verbally committed to play for Duke University on October 30, 2023, after also considering the University of Connecticut. He signed his National Letter of Intent to play for the Blue Devils on November 8, 2023, during the early signing period. He enrolled at Duke in June 2024 to take part in the Blue Devils’ summer practices. Flagg made his college debut on November 4, 2024, against Maine, scoring 18 points with 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals in a 96-62 Duke victory.
On January 11, 2025, Flagg delivered a record-breaking performance against Notre Dame. He scored 42 points with 6 rebounds and 7 assists, shooting 11 of 14 from the field and 16 of 17 from the free-throw line. This performance set new freshman scoring records for both Duke University and the ACC conference. He became the first ACC player in the last 25 years to record more than 500 points, 100 assists, and 30 blocks during a single regular season. Flagg won both ACC Player of the Year and ACC Rookie of the Year, becoming only the fourth player in conference history to win both awards in the same season, joining Zion Williamson, Marvin Bagley III, and Jahlil Okafor. He also earned ACC Male Athlete of the Year honors.
Flagg led the Blue Devils to the ACC regular-season championship with a 19-1 conference record. Duke entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 seed in the East region and advanced to the Final Four. Flagg scored 30 points against Arizona in the Sweet 16 and 16 points against Alabama in the Elite Eight before Duke fell to Houston. Following the season, he declared for the 2025 NBA Draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.
Cooper Flagg Career
Dallas Mavericks Era (2025-Present)
The Dallas Mavericks selected Cooper Flagg with the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. He signed his contract on July 2, 2025. Flagg made his NBA regular-season debut on October 22, 2025, against the San Antonio Spurs. He recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in the 125-92 loss. On November 10, 2025, Flagg tied LeBron James as the youngest player in NBA history to score at least 25 points in a game, accomplishing this feat at 18 years and 324 days old against the Milwaukee Bucks.
On November 28, 2025, Flagg became the youngest player to record 10 assists in an NBA game at 18 years and 343 days old, surpassing LeBron James by 12 days. The following night, he scored a career-high 35 points against the Los Angeles Clippers, becoming the youngest player to score 35 or more points. After starting his first seven games at point guard, averaging 13.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists, Flagg was moved to forward. He averaged 20 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on 51 percent shooting over his next 15 games. On December 15, 2025, Flagg scored 42 points in a 140-133 overtime loss to the Utah Jazz, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to score 40 or more points in a game.
On January 29, 2026, Flagg scored 49 points with 10 rebounds against the Charlotte Hornets, breaking the NBA record for most points scored by a teenager in a single game. On April 3, 2026, he recorded a career-high 51 points against the Orlando Magic, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to score 50 or more points at just 19 years and 103 days old. He became the first teenager in NBA history to score 50 or more points in a game. On April 5, 2026, Flagg scored 45 points with 8 rebounds and 9 assists against the Los Angeles Lakers. He became the first rookie since Allen Iverson in 1997 to record back-to-back 40-point games and surpassed LeBron James for the most 40-point games by a teenager in NBA history. On April 27, 2026, Flagg won the NBA Rookie of the Year award, finishing 12 first-place votes ahead of former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel. He became the second-youngest player to win the award in NBA history. On May 20, 2026, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
Playing Style and Strengths
Flagg is a versatile forward with elite scoring instincts and strong playmaking ability. His transition from point guard early in his rookie season to forward demonstrated his adaptability, as his shooting efficiency improved significantly in the new role. He possesses strong rebounding skills for his position and contributes defensively with blocks and steals. His basketball IQ allows him to read defenses and make smart decisions with the ball.
Notable Performances
Flagg’s rookie season featured multiple historic scoring performances. On January 29, 2026, he scored 49 points against Charlotte, setting a new NBA record for most points by a teenager in a single game. He later broke his own record on April 3, 2026, with 51 points against the Orlando Magic, becoming the youngest player ever to score 50 or more points in an NBA game. Earlier in the season, on December 15, 2025, Flagg became the youngest player to score 40 or more points when he posted 42 against Utah.
Cooper Flagg Career Wins
Flagg’s rookie season with the Mavericks showcased exceptional scoring ability with multiple 40-point performances. His most notable career win came against the Los Angeles Clippers on November 29, 2025, when he scored 35 points. He earned NBA Rookie of the Year honors in 2026 and was selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team that same year.
College and High School Highlights
During his lone season at Duke, Flagg won ACC Player of the Year and ACC Rookie of the Year in the same year. He led the Blue Devils to the ACC regular-season championship and an NCAA Tournament Final Four appearance. He earned consensus national player of the year honors and was named to the Wayman Tisdale Award, Lute Olson Award, Julius Erving Award, and NABC Freshman of the Year. In high school, Flagg won national player of the year honors and led Montverde Academy to a perfect 34-0 record and the program’s eighth national title.
Cooper Flagg Family
Family Background and Basketball Lineage
Flagg comes from a basketball family. His mother, Kelly, played college basketball at the University of Maine and was a team captain during her senior year. His father, Ralph, played basketball at the NJCAA level for Eastern Maine Community College. His fraternal twin brother, Ace, was a teammate at Nokomis Regional High School before also transferring to Montverde Academy. Ace has verbally committed to play men’s basketball at the University of Maine starting in 2025-26. His older brother, Hunter, was also a basketball player at Nokomis Regional High School.
Personal Life
Growing up in New England, Flagg was a fan of the Boston Celtics. He signed a shoe deal with New Balance prior to his freshman year at Duke. He chose New Balance partly because the company has two factories near his hometown of Newport, Maine. He also became the first men’s college basketball player to be sponsored by Gatorade.
2025-26 Season Performance
Flagg entered the 2025-26 season as the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and immediately made an impact with the Dallas Mavericks. His debut on October 22, 2025, saw him record a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds against the San Antonio Spurs. He began his career as a point guard before transitioning to forward, showing growth and versatility throughout the season.
His rookie season featured remarkable scoring performances, including a 42-point game against Utah on December 15, 2025, that made him the youngest player in NBA history to score 40 or more points in a game. He continued making history throughout the season and was named the NBA Rookie of the Year on April 27, 2026. He was selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team on May 20, 2026, solidifying his status as one of the league’s future cornerstones. Looking ahead, Flagg has his entire career ahead of him and aims to continue developing his game, building chemistry with his teammates, and pushing for deeper playoff runs.