PORTLAND, Maine (WMTW) - Cooper Flagg continues to put Maine on the map, as the recently-crowned NBA Rookie of the Year was named to Time Magazine’s inaugural list of the 100 most influential people in sports.
Flagg made the Time 100 sports list in the “innovators” category. He led all NBA rookies with an average of 21.0 points per game and ranked in the top five among rookies in rebounding (6.7 per game, 4th), assists (4.5 per game, 2nd), steals (1.2 per game, 2nd) and blocks (0.9 per game, 5th).
The 19-year-old from Newport became the youngest player to score at least 35 points, 40 points, 45 points and 50 points in an NBA game at different points during his rookie season.
As Time noted, Flagg and Michael Jordan are the only rookies to lead their teams in total points, rebounds, assists and steals since 1973, when steals became an official statistic.
“Perhaps the most well-rounded American prospect since [LeBron] James, Flagg has lived up to the hype–and has softened the blow for Mavericks fans still upset by the unpopular trade of Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers,” Time senior correspondent Sean Gregory wrote.
Another person with Maine ties makes Time list
UFC President and CEO Dana White, a graduate of Hermon High School, made the Time 100 Most Influential People in Sports list in the “leaders” category.
While he spent the majority of his childhood in Nevada, White returned to Maine in the summers to spend time with his grandparents and ultimately spent his senior year of high school in the state.
Gregory said White transformed mixed martial arts from a “fringe activity” into a $1.5 billion industry that stages fights around the world. Last year, White helped secure the UFC’s future by signing a seven-year, $7.7 billion media rights deal with Paramount.
On Sunday, White is set to host what could be UFC’s biggest event yet: UFC Freedom 250 on the south lawn of the White House.
Click here to see Time’s full list of the 100 most influential people in sports.
Copyright 2026 WABI. All rights reserved.