Cooper Flagg reveals why people told him he'd 'never make it' as an elite basketball player

Cooper Flagg is one of the most hyped prospects in recent NBA history, but he says the hype wasn't always there. 

The Duke phenom and projected No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft told The Associated Press that, growing up, he was told he would never achieve his basketball goals. 

Flagg said the doubts were due to where he was from. 

"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."

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Very few basketball stars have come from Maine. Miami Heat player Duncan Robinson was born in Maine, but he grew up in New Hampshire and went undrafted in the 2018 draft. 

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. 

Flagg is expected to become the most talented basketball player to come out of the state in its history.

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Flagg led Duke this season in almost every statistical category, including points (709), rebounds (278), assists (155), steals (52) and blocks per game (1.4). He averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals, but his best showing was in January when he set an ACC freshman record with a 42-point performance against Notre Dame. 

Flagg closed out the year with a semifinal appearance in the NCAA Tournament and was named the winner of the 2025 Naismith Player of the Year Award, becoming just the fourth freshman to win that honor.

"It doesn’t matter where you’re from," Flagg said Wednesday 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."

The Dallas Mavericks are expected to draft Flagg after winning the first pick in the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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