As expected, Maine basketball phenom Cooper Flagg was the first pick in last night's NBA draft, chosen by the Dallas Mavericks. There were several boisterous watch parties in Flagg's hometown of Newport, where locals who knew the outcome cheered nonetheless.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver made the long anticipated announcement live on ABC Television as hometown fans looked on.
"With the first pick of the 2025 NBA draft, the Dallas Mavericks select Cooper Flagg," he said.
"We’re just so proud of him, and how he’s stayed so grounded," said Missy Seehusan.
Missy and Peter Seehusen of nearby Corinna said it's admirable how Flagg has handled the spotlight.
"It’s pretty impressive, to have the starlight that he’s had and to be as humble as he is," Peter Seehusen said. "It really sets him apart. True to his roots."
They said they know the Flagg family — Kelly Flagg, Cooper’s mother, taught their kids, and their daughter was in the same grade as Cooper and his twin brother, Ace.
"They were in the same grade together," Peter Seehusen said. "Coop used to steal our daughter’s snacks at recess and all that good — we wondered how our little daughter ate so much food, and it was Coop."
"It was Coop and Ace, the Flagg boys," Missy Seehusen echoed with laughter.
Travis Turner said he often saw both Flagg boys at the fire station in town, where he’s assistant chief.
"There’s a lot of pride in the community, it brings everybody together, there’s that closeness, especially Newport," Turner said. "It’s a very tight knit community, everybody is real close to each other, it brings that morale out."
For the small town of Newport, 30 miles west of Bangor on the shores of Sebasticook Lake, the Cooper Flagg story has brought lots of national media attention. Here at the Grove, a wedding venue owned by Kendra and Scott Hartsgrove, ESPN has been staked out for several days.
"It’s awesome, it really is," Kendra Hartsgrove said. "It’s fun, its exciting, all the things. It’s very emotional."
But Kendra Hartsgrove said there's also a personal connection. Their son played with Flagg on the Nokomis High School team that won its first ever state title in 2022. That was just 3 years ago, when Flagg was just a freshman.
"It is heartwarming to know that all these people are coming here to support him," she said.
Flagg is now 18 years old; 6 feet, 9 inches tall; and coming off a single season at Duke in which he led the Blue Devils in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks.
"I hope he stays healthy and strong, and he's only going to get better playing in the NBA, so it's going to be fun to watch," said Lori Robertson.
Robertson and her twin sister, Lisa Terroni, made the drive from Hollis Center to Newport for the draft.
"I am absolutely ready — I'm keeping the Duke gear, but I'm ready for the new gear for sure," Robertson said.
Robertson said she is a longtime Celtics fan, but won’t let that stop her from cheering for Flagg in Dallas.
"I can have two, right? I can have two," she said with a laugh. "He may be playing with them one day. So who knows?"
Flagg is now expected to become a franchise player in Dallas, re-energizing Mavericks fans upset by the controversial trade of superstar Luka Doncic to the LA Lakers in February.
But for fans like Chris Harper in Newport, the excitement hits closer to home.
"It’s a big day for Maine, and Maine history, Maine sports history, for sure," he said.
