Who is Cooper Flagg? New NBA phenom sparking debate and conspiracy theories

Fox News

2 days ago

Amid declining TV ratings, the NBA welcomed its newest young superstar to the league on Wednesday night when Cooper Flagg was drafted with the No. 1 overall pick by the Dallas Mavericks out of Duke.
As one of the most hyped prospects in recent NBA history, many experts are anointing the 6-foot-9 Maine native as potentially the next face of the league.
Here's everything to know about Flagg, who has already made some noteworthy history before even stepping onto an NBA court:
The last time a White American-born player like Flagg was the first pick in the NBA Draft was Kent Benson in 1977. Since then, every first overall pick has been either a minority, foreign-born, or both.
ESPN star Stephen A. Smith made a comment about Flagg's skin color during a televised discussion on the network with co-host Jay Williams in March while discussing the phenom's marketability in the NBA.
"Think about all the conversations that we have, regardless of whether players like it or not, I hate it, but it's a real thing about, who is gonna be the face of the league?" Williams asked.
"Cooper Flagg now. There are pictures of him in college basketball with his face and the American flag behind it. Think about everything happening in our country right now. About what it means to be America. 'America first.' Okay? He's from Maine. He's not like from one of these cities, he's from Maine, representing the bigger grand stage of the country."
Smith interjected, saying, "I love what you brought up. Cooper Flagg, the American flag, and let's call it what it is, white. We see some of these European brothers, but again, European is not American. When you look at it from that standpoint, the marketability."
Smith followed up on the subject with similar comments in May during an episode of ESPN's "First Take."
"When you've got somebody with that kind of potential, and they're White and you are in America, you keep that dude. I'm telling you right now," Smith said. "The first order of business is he can ball. It's because he can play, but the fact that he's White, marketable — even his name makes him more marketable. I'm not passing that up at all."
Meanwhile, the British news outlet "The Guardian" published a feature in December titled "Cooper Flagg: the 17-year-old 'cold-a-- white boy' breaking the basketball discourse." The article referred to Flagg as "the next great White hope, Caitlin Clark 2.0."
The article was heavily criticized for putting such a focus on Flagg's race.
The Mavericks ended up with the first selection in this year's despite having just a 1.8% chance – the 11th-best odds in the league – to land the pick in the draft lottery after finishing the season with a 39-43 record.
The Mavericks' miraculous lottery result came months after the organization made a questionable trade to send superstar Luka Doncic to LeBron James' Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick, which many experts considered well-below value for Doncic.
This sequence of events prompted many fans and pundits to speculate about potential conspiracy theories about how and why Dallas got the pick despite having such low odds for it.
During Wednesday's draft at the Barclay Center in New York City, one fan in attendance jeered "Dallas was rigged," which was captured on the ESPN broadcast.
Flagg himself was asked about these theories during a press conference on Wednesday night after being drafted.
"I don't know what to say about that. I have no insider information, if that's what you're looking for. But I just feel blessed for the way it all worked out."
Flagg was born in Newport, Maine – a state that doesn't have the glitziest history of producing basketball talent.
The most prominent player to come out of Maine was former Olympic gold medalist Jeff Turner, who played for Vanderbilt in the early 1980s and played in the NBA from 1984-96. But he was out of the NBA from 1986-89 while playing in Italy.
Miami Heat player Duncan Robinson was born in Maine, but he grew up in New Hampshire and went undrafted in the 2018 draft.
Flagg said told The Associated Press in May that he was told his background as a Mainer prompted many to tell him he'd "never" play Division I basketball.
"Growing up in Maine, there's people that told me I would never be able to make it to the next level or play Division I basketball because I'm from Maine and nobody plays up there," Flagg said. "I think just that message of it doesn't matter where you're from, as long as you work hard and trust yourself and trust your ability, then you can really accomplish anything."
Flagg didn't let the skepticism impact his ambitions.
"It doesn't matter where you're from," Flagg said at the draft combine. "If you have a goal, if you have a dream and you put your mind to it ... I mean, honestly, for me, it wasn't real until I was in high school, but I always loved the game of basketball. I always put the work in. I always wanted to be the best that I could be."
Now, instead of a hindrance, Flagg's home state has given him a unique nickname: "The Maine Event."
While most NBA stars have apparel deals with Nike or Under Armour, Flagg has taken up a different flag in the retail wars.
Flagg is signed with New Balance, which is based in his home state's neighbor of Massachusetts. Other NBA stars signed with that brand include Kawhi Leonard, Jamal Murray, Tyrese Maxey, Dejounte Murray, Zach LaVine, Darius Garland and Aaron Nesmit.
But now Flagg may prove to be the brand's biggest ambassador yet, as the company looks to take on the market leaders Nike and Under Armour.
"I am so proud to call Maine my home state and I am grateful for all of the support I have received," Flagg said in a press release sent to Fox News Digital. "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."
Nike has been heavily criticized over the last year by women's sports rights activists for its official company stance in supporting trans athletes in women's and girls' sports.
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