It's not unusual to see Portland’s Cross Insurance Arena fill up on a Friday night. This particular event, a high school basketball game dubbed "The Maine Event”, had sold out in a matter of minutes. Most of the 6,700 people lining the stands had come to see a single player.
"We came here to watch Cooper Flagg," said Carson, a young basketball fan, while waiting in line.
His brother agreed: "Yeah, we came to see Cooper."
Cooper Flagg is the top-rated high school basketball prospect in the country. At 17 years old, the 6-foot, 9-inch forward is widely projected to be the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Flagg returned to his home state of Maine this weekend for a series of exhibition games featuring him and his twin brother, Ace.
"It really gives me like more motivation to like, become a better basketball player. And like, improve the things that I can work on," said Rachel, a teenage basketball fan and player in attendance Friday. "I have seen so many videos about him, and I'm just excited to see him in person."
Friday night's game featured Montverde Academy facing off against Gonzaga College High School from Washington, D.C. Born and raised in Newport, Cooper and Ace led Nokomis Regional High to a state championship in their freshman year. The twins subsequently transferred to Montverde Academy, a prep school in Florida known for producing top NBA talent.
"As a playmaker, he knows where his teammates are going to be before they get there, and that's what makes him such a great passer," said Matt MacKenzie, the owner of results basketball who has worked with the Flagg twins as their player development coach since the sixth grade. "On the defensive end, [Cooper] is able to time the opposing teams passes and the opposing teams attempts to score at the rim."
"He's a big time chippy guy [who] likes to talk smack — a smartass all the way," said Brian Scalabrine, an 11-year NBA former player and the current TV analyst for the Boston Celtics. He first met Flagg a few years ago while visiting Maine. Scalabrine was playing in a pickup game with some college players when a 14-year-old Cooper subbed in.
“[Flagg] dribbled right [and] got stuck," said Scalabrine. "He threw it off the backboard, jumped way above the [backboard] square, and dunked it with his left hand. The gym completely changed. I’ve been around NBA players for a long time, and his feel for the game is [unlike] anything I’ve ever seen."
Flagg finished Friday's game against Gonzaga with 23 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 8 blocks.
"Cooper is obviously a great talent, and he's going to continue to get better," said Cindy Blodgett. "But I know he's an even better person, because I know his parents."
Blodgett know what its like to be the face of Maine basketball. She led UMaine to four straight NCAA tournament appearances in the '90s and was a first round WNBA draft pick. Blodgett played alongside the Flaggs' mother, Kelly, while at UMaine.
"He has a great family around him that will support him. Keeping that really nice, tight knit group is going to be critical for him as he navigates through all of this," she said.
Flagg has largely embraced the responsibilities that come from representing Maine — both on and off the court.
"Today, I felt [it was important to] be the role model and set the bar [high] for the kids here that are coming on to support us," said Flagg while speaking to reporters after the game. "just setting that bar, setting that example, and being a good role model."
Beyond the fanfare and sold out crowds, the teenager is simply happy to be back home.
"As [Ace and I have] grown and our lives have changed we don't see home — pretty much at all anymore," said Flagg. "School is really busy and our schedule is really busy, so there's not a lot of chances to go home. So I think I'm just more appreciative for where I come from. And appreciate being able to come back and see everybody and be back in the state."
