Cooper Flagg will soon join the Dallas Mavericks, but he is getting a big honor in his home state.
The 2025 NBA Draft is only hours away, and the Mavericks will soon begin the night by taking Flagg with the first pick. After having a superb freshman season at Duke, Flagg is undeniably the top player in his class going into draft night.
While he spent a year at Duke and will spend the foreseeable future of his basketball journey down in Texas, he still has a proud home state of Maine. On Wednesday, Maine governor Janet Mills declared June 25, 2025, as Cooper Flagg Day in the state.
"Cooper Flagg's extraordinary talent and dedication to basketball has earned him national acclaim as perhaps the most promising player of his generation. He is a source of tremendous pride for Maine," said Governor Mills."I have proclaimed today as Cooper Flagg Day, so all the people of Maine can celebrate his achievement, hard work, perseverance, and sportsmanship, which should inspire youth across our state to pursue their dreams with Cooper's signature determination."
Born and raised in Newport, Maine, Flagg is set to become only the third player in league history to be born in Maine. He will join Jeff Turner and Duncan Robinson as the only players from the state, making Wednesday an incredibly special day for the state that has rarely seen this type of success.
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"I am so proud to call Maine my home state and I am grateful for all of the support I have received," said Cooper Flagg. "Thank you to Governor Mills and New Balance for helping to reinforce my belief in the value of teamwork and that if you stick to something and keep working, you can make anything happen."