No more predicted/consensus number 1 pick, Cooper Flagg, officially became the first pick of the 2025 draft. Ever since the Mavs won the 1.8% odds in their favor, all signs pointed towards the Duke star starting his NBA journey in Dallas. Even before the draft night, he called it a surreal feeling. “Obviously a surreal feeling just to be here. I’m just trying to enjoy it and take it all in with my family.” Now that his place is official, the 18-year-old and his family members will obviously get emotional.

“I think it’s just the emotion of this night, you know, there’s so much anticipation, so much build up and I think just being in this moment, you know, seeing my mom cry, hugging my family, talking to my brother, it’s just a surreal moment that you see so many people go through it each year and it’s just, it’s crazy.” Speaking to Taylor Rooks, Cooper Flagg admitted a weight off his shoulder after months of anticipation. In fact, he was close to shedding a tear when he hugged his mother.

“It brought a lot of emotions out. It made me want to cry, but you know, I moved on quick, got some other brothers, you know, dabbed them up, so I came back to reality and I didn’t cry. But I mean, my mom means everything to me. She’s my biggest supporter and my biggest fan and my biggest helper. So she just does a lot for me.”

Kelly Flagg was a standout player in her own right, and her influence has shaped him into the rising superstar he is today. She played for the University of Maine in the late ’90s. She and her 1998–99 season teammates made UMaine women’s basketball history when they won the program’s first-ever NCAA tournament game, upsetting Stanford University.

Cooper Flagg’s mother gets emotional, too, recapping her son’s journey

From 1995 to 1999, Kelly Flagg was a force at the University of Maine, and by senior year was leading the squad as captain. That’s when the biggest moment in program history came during the 1999 NCAA run. Even after hanging up her boots, Kelly didn’t walk away from basketball. She continued to give back. She returned to her roots, becoming the head coach of the Nokomis varsity girls’ team.

That’s why, while talking about her son’s love for the game, apart from all the accolades, she hopes Cooper Flagg loves hooping as much her. “I just hoped that he loved the game as much as we have and I am just thrilled that he did love it and he got to this moment, It’s incredible!” Those were the words of Cooper Flagg’s mother, Kelly, when asked what she envisioned the first time they placed a basketball in her son’s tiny hands.

But the competitive runs in the family. Even Cooper’s father, Ralph Flagg, was a hooper back then. When asked if the now Dallas Mavericks superstar beat her the last time they played, Kelly set the record straight with a big smile on her face.“No, it’s not a loss, it was a timeout in the game! It’s just been an extended time out!” Growing up in a basketball-driven family, Cooper was practically built for the game. And having Kelly’s experience—both as a player and a coach—was the cherry on top.