Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts against the Miami Heat during the fourth quarter of the game at Kaseya Center on November 24, 2025 in Miami, Florida.
Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts against the Miami Heat during the fourth quarter of the game at Kaseya Center on November 24, 2025 in Miami, Florida.
Cooper Flagg has a new role
The Dallas Mavericks rookie stars in a new commercial with State Farm that debuts on Wednesday, Dec. 17
Flagg, the No. 1 pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, is already setting league records in Dallas, on the cusp of his 19th birthday
Cooper Flagg turns 19 on Sunday. But until then, the Dallas Mavericks rookie seemingly figured he had a bit of unfinished business.
Like winning Western Conference Rookie of the Month, which he did in November.
Like setting an NBA record for most points (42) scored by an 18-year-old, which he did on Monday, Dec. 15.
And like shooting (and scoring with) his first State Farm commercial, which debuts on Wednesday, Dec. 17.
Flagg is not like you or me, but maybe he is a bit relatable.
“I've got a car, an apartment, so, you know, big boy stuff,” he tells PEOPLE exclusively about his transition to playing in Dallas, while his mother Kelly Flagg looks on and exchanges knowing glances and a laugh with another mother in the room.
Minutes later, Cooper walks to the nearby soundstage to shoot the breeze with actor Kevin Miles — who is also known as Jake from State Farm.
The 6-foot-9-inch teenager from New England is living up to his nickname — “The Maine Event” — with an easy confidence, just over one year after he decided to reclassify, foregoing his final year in high school to play for Duke at the age of 17.
Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks dribbles the ball during the game against the Brooklyn Nets on December 12, 2025 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks dribbles the ball during the game against the Brooklyn Nets on December 12, 2025 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
A standout season stopped short of netting a national championship, but a whirlwind followed when he was drafted No. 1 by the Mavs — who had 1.8% chance of landing the generational star — and since then, it’s been a blur of summer league games and getting acclimated to playing in the league.
“I wouldn't say it's been easy,” he tells PEOPLE days before the preseason began in October. “It's tiring. Obviously all the traveling we've been doing and different things like that. And it takes a little bit to get used to, but I think I’m doing as good as I can, just kind of figuring out the balance and keeping my priorities straight. It's been a balance, and trial-and-error, but we’ll figure it out.”
That seems to be the case.
Averaging 18.4 points per game through 26 starts so far, Flagg is a bright spot on the Dallas roster, which has struggled with injuries to key players in the wake of last season’s blockbuster trade that sent another generational star — Luka Dončić — to the Los Angeles Lakers.
In some ways, Flagg says he views himself as just another rookie, kicking back with fellow Mavs players Ryan Nembhard and Moussa Cisse.
“Obviously we're all going through the same thing at the same time, so just trying to figure it out together,” Flagg says. “I think it's helped us and we've kind of all grown together … it's been really cool to get to know some of the guys.”
Back at the State Farm shoot, the Newport, Maine native is getting to know his fellow cast mates.
Cooper Flagg Teams Up with State Farm for Upcoming CommercialCooper Flagg Teams Up with State Farm for Upcoming Commercial
Cooper Flagg; Jake from State Farm.
As he films multiple takes for the spot’s opening moments in which he does a jersey swap with Jake, Flagg looks increasingly at ease, smiling and cracking up when the two improvise little moments of banter.
What results is a clever and funny addition to the latest in a series of the commercials starring iconic athletes like Patrick Mahomes and Caitlin Clark.
For Flagg, the moment is not lost on him.
“I grew up watching the different commercials and remember watching a lot of the Chris Paul State Farm commercials and stuff like that,” he says. “So it's, it's always been something I dreamed about.”
So far, Flagg’s season has been the stuff of dreams too. On Sunday, he’ll blow out the candles and celebrate how far he’s come — but he’s still The Kid from Duke.
“I definitely still feel like I'm 18,” he says. “I mean outside of all the craziness and everything that's going on, it still boils down to being a kid and, and enjoying my life in as many ways as I can.”