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.

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.