Cooper Flagg Receives Big News After 2025 NBA Draft
Cooper Flagg was the National Player of the Year and a consensus first-team All-American in his only collegiate season. He led the Duke Blue Devils to the Final Four while averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.
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On Wednesday night, the 6-foot-9 forward's professional basketball dream became a reality when he was drafted No. 1 overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2025 NBA draft. Flagg spoke to ESPN right after he heard his name called.
"I'm feeling amazing. It's a dream come true, to be honest," the Newport, Maine native said as he stood next to his family. "I wouldn't want to share it with anybody else."
All signs point to Flagg growing into an NBA star, and now he gets to learn from Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, a 2018 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, along with three likely future Hall of Famers as teammates in Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson and Anthony Davis. While Flagg looks set to create a buzz in the NBA, another accolade graced his way.
Cooper Flagg before the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center.© Brad Penner-Imagn Images
On Thursday, the 2025 ESPYS nominees were announced, and Flagg was nominated twice — once for Best Breakthrough Athlete and once for Best College Athlete.
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Here are the other finalists for Best Breakthrough Athlete:
Chloe Humphrey - North Carolina Women's Lacrosse
Ilona Maher - Rugby
Paul Skenes - Pittsburgh Pirates
And here's who else was nominated for Best College Athlete:
Wyatt Hendrickson - Oklahoma State Wrestling
Travis Hunter - Colorado Football
CJ Kirst - Cornell Lacrosse
The winners will be announced on July 16 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The award show will air live on ABC starting at 8 p.m. ET.
Related: Duke Posts Two-Word Message After Mavericks Draft Cooper Flagg
Related: Cooper Flagg Turns Heads With Announcement on Monday
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
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