The Newport, Maine basketball family
Newport sits in central Maine roughly 25 miles west of Bangor β population around 3,000 with no major sports infrastructure. Cooper’s parents Kelly and Ralph met playing college basketball in Maine and raised Cooper and his twin brother Ace in Newport. Kelly later coached AAU basketball in the area. Cooper played his freshman year (2021-22) at Nokomis Regional High School, the local public high school, where he averaged 20+ points and led the team to the Maine Class A state championship game.
Recruiting interest exploded after his freshman season β by spring 2022 Cooper was widely considered the top prospect in his class. The Flagg family decided he needed a higher level of competition, and Cooper transferred to Montverde Academy outside Orlando, Florida β the same prep program that produced Joel Embiid, Cade Cunningham, RJ Barrett, and Ben Simmons.
Reclassifying up to Duke
Flagg was originally a member of the 2025 high school class but reclassified up to 2024 in October 2023, allowing him to play at Duke a year early. He committed to Duke in the same announcement (over Connecticut, North Carolina, and Michigan). The reclassification made him 17 years old at the start of his Duke freshman season (2024-25).
He averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists at Duke as a freshman, won ACC Player of the Year, and was named the consensus 2025 National Player of the Year. The Dallas Mavericks won the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery (with the 1.8% odds the Mavs received as compensation for the Luka DonΔiΔ trade) and selected Flagg #1 overall in June 2025 β at 18 years old, the youngest #1 overall pick since LeBron James in 2003.
Newport after Cooper
Newport, Maine remains the smallest hometown of any modern #1 NBA Draft pick. Nokomis Regional High School retired Cooper’s #32 jersey in November 2024 β during his Duke freshman season. The school estimates that Newport population swelled by ~200 visitors on draft night 2025 with the town hosting a watch party.
Cooper has stayed close to Maine β his Cooper Flagg Foundation funds youth basketball clinics in Penobscot County, and his rookie Mavericks contract reportedly includes a clause permitting him to do annual offseason camps in Maine. His twin brother Ace plays Division I basketball at Maine, keeping the Flagg family tied to the state.
More in Where Did They Grow Up?
Babe Ruth Childhood: Pigtown to St. Mary's Derek Jeter Hometown: Growing Up in Kalamazoo Where Aaron Judge Grew Up: Linden, California Where Connor McDavid Grew Up: Newmarket, OntarioBackground facts cross-referenced with the Wikipedia article on Cooper Flagg and Pro-Football-Reference / Basketball-Reference public records.