Former Duke star Cooper Flagg has returned home to Maine following a busy spring and summer to give back to the community that made him.
The former Blue Devil finished his college career in Final Four in April and then immediately transitioned to preparing for the 2025 NBA Draft which resulted in the 6-foot-8 forward being selected No.1 overall by the Dallas Mavericks. Soon after Adam Silver called his name at the Draft, Flagg headed to Texas to take care of media responsibilities before heading to Las Vegas to participate in the NBA Summer League.
He played two games for the Mavericks in the Summer League, serving as the team's primary initiator in the half court in two appearances in which he played 31.4 minutes per game, averaging 20.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game. Flagg did struggle with the high offensive usage, however, shooting just 36 percent from the field, 21 percent from the outside, and only 57 percent from the free throw line.
After two games against San Antonio and the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas elected to shut their prized rookie down for the rest of the event.
Since leaving Sin City, Flagg has returned home to Maine to facilitate a summer camp for youth basketball players along with his twin brother, Ace, who will be a freshman this year at the University of Maine. It's the second year the twins have run this event in their home state, with attendance topping several hundred campers this year.
"Being back in your place where you grew up, you just get grounded," Cooper added. "It's really refreshing just being home, being in this environment."
That sort of local engagement means a lot to the former Duke star as he outlined to the local television station when interviewed this week.
"It means a lot. I feel like that's the whole reason we are here. Just to have the visibility and give them this experience and just try and give back to the community," Flagg told WGME. "Having this happen and being able to put a lot of smiles on these kids faces, it just means a lot it's definitely really refreshing."
"I remember when we were their age. We had players that we looked up to, so to be able to be that example for them is really nice," Ace added.
While his more famous twin has been evaluated heavily over the last few years during his meteoric rise through the prep and college basketball worlds, Ace Flagg has his own scouting report of his twin brother and what he does best on the court.
"I was going to say, his ability to play on both sides of the ball," Ace said Saturday about the best part of Cooper's game in an interview with the Bangor Daily News. "Elite offense and defense."
During his one year at Duke, Flagg took home a slew of honors while being named as College Basketball's Player of the Year (USBWA, NABC, AP, Wooden, Naismith, CollegeInsider.com) and National Freshman of the Year (Sporting News, USBWA, NABC, CollegeInsider.com). In addition he was named as the Anthony J. McKevlin Award as the ACC Male Athlete of the Year, and the ACC Player of the Year and ACC Rookie of the Year, while being named to the All-ACC First Team, ACC All-Defensive Team and ACC All-Rookie Team.
He finished the year averaging 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while leading Duke to a 35-4 overall record and 19-1 mark in the ACC.