In Newport, Maine, there’s this cool story about a guy named Bill Nemer. He’s got a Duke flag hung up at his house, right slap-dab above the front door. Why? Because of Cooper Flagg, Maine’s pride and joy, who’s off making waves at Duke. Nemer didn’t even care about Duke before, but when Cooper made his big decision to join them, he jumped on the bandwagon and now never misses a game. His Facebook is like a fan page dedicated to Cooper – all the highlights and stats you can imagine, shining like a star.
When Nemer talks about the first time he saw Cooper play, he lights up, scrolling through videos of this tall kid dunking on kids who were much older. Having coached sports for 40 years, catching Cooper’s freshman season at Nokomis was a stroke of luck for him, and he wants to remember every great moment.
His wife teases him about being obsessed, and honestly, he kinda is. “I guess I am a little obsessed,” Nemer chuckles. “But this is like the biggest sports deal Maine’s ever seen, and probably will ever see!”
Everyone in Maine has seen Cooper’s skills on display this season at Duke, but the locals remember when he was just starting to shine, weaving tales of the skinny kid from a small town who made the impossible seem easy.
So yeah, Nemer isn’t alone in that obsession. People around Maine talk about Cooper while grabbing breakfast at the truck stop diner, the only place that gets a little tourist love, sharing tales about the kid who’s made it big. Flagg is expected to be the first overall pick in the NBA draft – not a surprise given how he’s been dominating the court and leading Duke toward a national title. He’s made jaw-dropping dunks and shown an effortless talent that has everyone buzzing. And as he gears up for the ACC tournament, people are starting to realize what Nemer and the locals figured out long ago – there’s no one quite like Cooper Flagg.
“When I saw him warm up for the first time, I thought, ‘Yeah, this kid’s different,'” Nemer recalls.
IMAGINE THIS: If Flagg hadn’t decided to jump straight from high school to Duke, he’d be tearing it up with his best buddy Kaden Bedard down in Montverde Academy. They used to run this sweet backdoor play where Kaden would pass to Cooper after faking out the defense and watch as Cooper took off for a massive dunk. They probably executed that move a thousand times, and no one ever managed to stop it.
They still chat several times a week, reminiscing about their old games and dreaming of the future.
Kaden recalls meeting Cooper back when they were seven. Even then, people were buzzing about the little guy who could play against older kids without a hitch. “I was blown away,” Kaden said. “He had such a knack for the game at such a young age.”
That’s Cooper for you, always the youngest on the court but still outshining everyone else. Parents even joked about him having a fake birth certificate because he played like a pro. He was tall for a kid – around 6’1″ or 6’2″ in middle school – and his old coach said he moved like a deer on ice, all limbs and grace. It’s not just the height; it’s how smooth he is with the ball.
“He had total control of his body,” said Andy Bedard, Kaden’s dad and coach.
Now, there’s a debate about when Cooper first dunked a ball. His mom is convinced he was just “rim grazing” in sixth grade, but others insist he was flying before he even learned to walk. By seventh grade, though, he was known for his epic dunks.
“Every game, he went for the poster dunk,” said Ace, Cooper’s twin brother. “You’d watch, and even the other team would start clapping for him!”
No kidding. Kaden remembers warm-ups where Cooper would do wild stunts, and everyone would stop what they were doing just to see what he’d pull off next.
Kids would ask for Cooper’s autograph before games, already aware of his growing fame. “It was funny to see how he signed his name back then – he could barely write,” Kelly said, Cooper’s mom.
In eighth grade, during the pandemic, his games were streamed live on YouTube. The family would gather, place bets on how many dunks Cooper would make, or whether he’d outscore the opponent’s total points in dunks. He made it all look way too easy – still does, actually.
This is where Cooper’s rep started to spread – and he became sort of a legend. But among his tight-knit circle back in Maine, they all knew the hard work that went into becoming who he is.
COOPER’S SIXTH-GRADE coach, Gene Crockett, would see him running every morning with his dog before the sun was up. Gene was amazed at how Cooper soaked up all the basketball knowledge. His coach sometimes ran his game plans by him, since the kid had such a sharp mind for the game. They would spend endless hours playing one-on-one in the Bedards’ driveway, not letting up, pushing each other to the max – even at nine years old.
“I remember we’d start playing early, work out, and just keep going until the sun went down,” Kaden said.
By seventh grade, he started training with Matt MacKenzie regularly to sharpen his already impressive skills.
MacKenzie got creative with drills, challenging Cooper by limiting the number of dribbles or putting him against older, stronger players. But no matter who they threw at him, Cooper held his own and thrived under the pressure.
Every now and then, Kelly catches wind of some online criticism about Cooper, whether it’s about not playing in certain circuits or someone gunning for his age. Those comments really get under her skin. Because if anyone embodies hard work, it’s Cooper. He’s not the type to want an easy ride.
“Cooper’s super competitive,” MacKenzie said. “He’s obsessed with winning. He’s more interested in improving than in compliments.”
During his junior year at Montverde, Cooper played in a tournament with his old AAU team. Even though people said he shouldn’t play because it didn’t matter, Cooper didn’t want to sit on the sidelines.
“Tell him not to play? Good luck with that!” Andy Bedard laughed.
He played, and during one fierce play, he got elbowed in the face, bleeding all over. Kelly rushed to find him, but Cooper didn’t stay out for long. A few minutes later, ready to go back in with a mask protecting his broken nose, he asked his coach, “Who am I going in for?”
His dad couldn’t believe it. It was all part of who Cooper is – he’ll always fight to stay on the court.
“Naturally, I replied, ‘Sub in for whoever you want,’” Andy said.
Later, Grant and Duke coach Jon Scheyer discussed why Duke was so adamant about getting Cooper. It wasn’t just his skills that wowed them. It was that fierce competitive edge he showed even when he was hurt. They knew they were getting a player who cares about winning above all.
MAX GOOD is a coaching legend in Maine, and he’s been around the block a few times. He coached countless talented kids, Flagg included, and knows his stuff. Andy played for him back in the day, and now Good shows up to share some wisdom with Andy’s players.
He’s said that Cooper is one of the most talented players he’s ever seen, but he also had that awkward, lanky look that makes him a target on the court.
“I told him, ‘Listen, kid, you think players from Detroit or California will let you dominate? You better be ready,'” Good recalled.
He was spot on.
Off the court, Cooper is chill and down to earth. He loves his teammates, uses his NIL money to help equip youth players and holds camps for aspiring ballers in Maine. But when the game’s on and they’re outside of Maine, everybody wanted to take him down. He faced constant double teams and tough fouls, but somehow he made it out just fine.
Kelly remembers trips to tournaments where Cooper would drive the lane and just crush the hopes of every kid who thought they were NBA material. He dealt with angry parents and fans who couldn’t believe how good he was, even from an early age.
Years later, he helped his Under-17 team snag a championship in Spain. While the locals let loose some not-so-nice commentary about their team’s domination, they couldn’t do anything to diminish Cooper’s shine.
What’s wild is how that negativity only fueled Cooper. Early in the second half against Pittsburgh this season, he got whistled for a foul he disagreed with, and it ignited a fire in him. He leaped into a spectacular windmill dunk that left everyone in the arena in awe. It was pure passion and determination rolled into one jaw-dropping moment.
Cooper Flagg puts a Pitt defender on a poster
Cooper Flagg gets the steal, then runs the floor and puts a Pitt defender on a poster.
“When he gets that look in his eyes, you know he’s going for blood,” MacKenzie said.
“Crazy eyes,” is what Kelly calls it.
It happened so often opponents would feel it, too.
“The weaker teams always had parents who were overly nice,” Ace said. “Like, ‘Oh great shot!’ – trying to get some mercy calls.”
Kaden remembers a game in grade school when a team tried to double-team Cooper, thinking they could finally shut him down. They couldn’t even touch him. You could see the joy on his face.
When crowds chanted “overrated,” it was game on for Cooper. He’d always find a way to prove them wrong.
Take the regular-season finale against North Carolina, where he was limited due to foul trouble, and you could feel the tension. But when the time was right, Cooper went full beast mode; he rejected shots and slammed home a huge dunk that had everyone flexing, showing he doesn’t play around.
Reminder: Don’t mess with Flagg when he’s angry.
MacKenzie remembers how they would run tough drills to push Cooper’s limits. He’d get fired up even when treatment wouldn’t go his way. He’d unleash a barrage of points back-to-back and finish it saying, “Nice drill. I’m going to get some water now.”
WANT TO KNOW what Mainers think is Cooper Flagg’s best play? Sure, they love those epic dunks, but that’s not always the first thing that comes to people’s minds.
Zach Gilpin, a former top high school player in Maine, remembers a scrimmage against Nokomis back when Cooper was a freshman. “His off-ball defense was insane. He was picking off passes left and right. I’ve never seen someone that young control a game like that.”
Then there was that game against Cony High when Cooper leapt from the sidelines to save a ball, spun mid-air, and made a one-handed pass that led to an easy bucket. Magic plays like that were just his normal.
“Everyone wanted to see him block a shot into the stands,” Andy said. “But he knew we needed the ball more.” He would tip the ball to himself instead of going for the highlight reel stuff.
Ace remembers a practice at Montverde where they were on opposing teams. Cooper wrestled the ball away from him and flexed, and Ace couldn’t help but kick back at him because sibling rivalry.
In a monster game between Nokomis, the future Class A state champs, and South Portland, Cooper made a splash right from the jump with a clean block off the backboard on the very first play. That set the tone for the entire match.
Even with three starters fouling out, Nokomis came out on top that day, and everyone felt Cooper was doing it all.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he was selling tickets too,” Andy Bedard quipped.
AS COACH SCHEYER makes his case for Cooper to be this year’s national player of the year, he points out how Cooper makes big moves and shines in ways that others just can’t. He knows how to seize those moments that matter most.
Grant calls it “winning time” – when Cooper shifts into a high gear and knows it’s his moment to shine.
Cooper lost just one game in high school, and the backlash was fierce. He didn’t want to let that happen again. So, when down 15 against Cony, he led Nokomis to an epic comeback, ensuring victory with a vengeance. They even took down Brewer multiple times, including in the playoffs, to seal a state title. Then, at Montverde, he not only grabbed a national title but shined at the EYBL’s Peach Jam, holding his own against future NBA players. Even at Duke, he thoroughly dominated early against rivals. Now, as the NCAA tournament approaches – with a title within reach – all eyes will be on Cooper Flagg to see if he can back up his hype.
Despite the legacy he’s carved out back home, he knows what’s on the line. When Duke tips off with dreams of a national championship ahead, he’ll be ready with something to prove. Everyone who has seen his rise knows he has a burning desire to win. No tall tale here; Flagg delivers on the court, time and again.
“When it’s winning time,” Grant said, “he’s the best player I’ve ever seen.”
