Cooper Flagg, explained: from a Maine kid to the Mavericks’ Rookie of the Year

If you searched Cooper Flagg on Thursday night, it was probably because of a game show. On July 23, 2026, Flagg and his family taped a turn on ABC’s Celebrity Family Feud, facing off against Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy and playing for the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas, per Yahoo/Athlon Sports and WABI-TV in Maine. His team reportedly included his twin brother Ace, brother Hunter, parents Kelly and Ralph, and his grandfather, "Papa Flagg." The episode aired that evening, so we are not calling a winner here — that result was not confirmed at publication.

But the Family Feud spot is the hook, not the story. The reason a 19-year-old from a town of a few thousand people is a household name is the basketball. Here is the durable version — who Cooper Flagg is, and the career that got him here.

The short answer

Cooper Flagg is a forward for the Dallas Mavericks and the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and before that a consensus National Player of the Year at Duke as a freshman. He grew up in Newport, Maine. That is the whole arc in one breath; the rest of this piece fills it in, stop by stop, and clears up two things a lot of headlines get wrong.

From Newport, Maine

Flagg was born December 21, 2006, in Newport, Maine — which makes him 19 as of this writing. He is one of a set of Flagg brothers who play the game; his twin, Ace, also plays college basketball. Maine is not a state that exports top-five NBA picks, and that origin — small-town, cold-weather, far from the AAU capitals — is a big part of why the story travels.

Duke, 2024-25: the best freshman in the country

Flagg spent one season at Duke, and it was historic. In 2024-25 he averaged 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists, and on January 11, 2025, he scored 42 points against Notre Dame — a Duke freshman single-game scoring record.

He finished the year as the consensus National Player of the Year, sweeping the sport’s major honors — the Wooden, Naismith, AP, USBWA, and NABC awards, as Duke Athletics documented. That made him just the fourth freshman ever to win the award, after Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, and Zion Williamson — company that tells you exactly what kind of prospect he was.

No. 1 overall, 2025: the Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks selected Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. At the time he was the second-youngest No. 1 pick in NBA history, behind only LeBron James. Whatever else you remember about the 2025 draft, the top of the board was never really in doubt.

The rookie year is already over — and he won Rookie of the Year

Here is the first thing a lot of coverage still gets wrong: Flagg is not entering his rookie year. He has already played it. In 2025-26 he averaged roughly 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game and led all rookies in scoring, per NBA.com.

And on April 27, 2026, he won the NBA Rookie of the Year. It was close: Flagg edged his former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel of the Hornets, taking 56 first-place votes and 412 points to Knueppel’s 44 and 386, as ESPN reported. He is the third Maverick to win the award, after Jason Kidd (1995) and Luka Dončić (2019).

Second correction, and it matters: some hometown celebrations called him an "MVP." He is not the NBA MVP. He won Rookie of the Year — a real, significant honor, but a different one. Getting that right is part of taking the achievement seriously.

Cooper Flagg's Career, Stop by Stop

Cooper Flagg: a career timeline from Newport, Maine to Rookie of the Year

A chronological record of Cooper Flagg's basketball career: born in Newport, Maine; consensus National Player of the Year at Duke as a freshman; No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks; a rookie season leading all rookies in scoring; and the 2026 NBA Rookie of the Year award over Kon Knueppel.

Allconfirmedexpected

1. December 21, 2006

   Born in Newport, Maine

   Cooper Flagg is born in Newport, Maine, one of twin brothers (his twin, Ace, also plays college basketball). His Maine roots stay central to his story as he becomes the state's most famous basketball export.

   Source ↗

2. January 11, 2025

   Sets a Duke freshman scoring record: 42 vs. Notre Dame

   As a Duke freshman, Flagg scores 42 points against Notre Dame — a Duke freshman single-game scoring record. He averages 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists on the season.

   Source ↗

3. April 2025

   Consensus National Player of the Year at Duke

   Flagg sweeps the major national player-of-the-year honors as a freshman — the Wooden, Naismith, AP, USBWA, and NABC awards — becoming just the fourth freshman ever to win the award, after Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, and Zion Williamson.

   Source ↗

4. June 2025

   No. 1 overall pick, 2025 NBA Draft (Dallas Mavericks)

   The Dallas Mavericks select Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. He is the second-youngest No. 1 pick in NBA history, behind only LeBron James.

   Source ↗

5. 2025-26 season

   Rookie season: leads all rookies in scoring

   In his first NBA season Flagg averages about 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game and leads all rookies in scoring, establishing himself as the Mavericks' cornerstone.

   Source ↗

6. April 27, 2026

   2026 NBA Rookie of the Year

   Flagg wins the Kia NBA Rookie of the Year in a tight vote, edging Duke teammate Kon Knueppel of the Hornets — 56 first-place votes and 412 points to Knueppel's 44 and 386. He is the third Maverick to win the award, after Jason Kidd (1995) and Luka Doncic (2019).

   Source ↗

7. July 23, 2026

   Flagg family on Celebrity Family Feud

   Flagg and his family appear on ABC's Celebrity Family Feud (8 p.m. ET) against Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports, playing for the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas — the reason his name trends this week. The episode aired that evening; the result is not confirmed here.

   Source ↗

8. Fall 2026· expected

   Second NBA season tips off

   Flagg heads into his second NBA season with the Mavericks. The 2026-27 schedule and his opener are not yet confirmed; the season is expected to tip off in the fall.

   Source ↗

How this is calculated

A hand-checked chronology compiled from ESPN, NBA.com, Duke Athletics, and local Maine reporting (WABI-TV), plus the Family Feud appearance reported by Yahoo/Athlon Sports. Events confirmed to the day carry an exact date label; where only a month or season is public, the label is shown at that granularity and the ISO date is a representative day within that period used only for ordering. The row for his second NBA season is marked expected because no 2026-27 opener date has been confirmed.

Data as of July 22, 2026 · verified July 22, 2026 · v1

Assumptions, limitations & sources

Assumptions

• · Where a public source gives only a month or season, the ISO date is a representative day within that period and drives ordering only, not display.
• · Per-game statistics are as reported for the season noted and are rounded as their sources report them.

Limitations

• · Covers the career arc that made Flagg a national name, not every game, award, or statistic.
• · The July 23, 2026 Celebrity Family Feud row intentionally does not state a winner — the episode aired that evening and the result is not confirmed here.
• · No 2026-27 season opener date is confirmed; the second-season row is marked expected and gives only the fall 2026 window.

Sources

• ESPN — Cooper Flagg beats Kon Knueppel in tightly contested Rookie of the Year vote — ESPN, checked July 22, 2026
• NBA.com — Cooper Flagg reflects on winning the Kia Rookie of the Year — NBA.com, checked July 22, 2026
• Duke Athletics — Cooper Flagg named John R. Wooden Player of the Year — Duke Athletics, checked July 22, 2026
• Yahoo / Athlon Sports — Mavs' Cooper Flagg ready for Celebrity Family Feud — Yahoo Entertainment, checked July 22, 2026
• WABI-TV — Cooper Flagg, family to appear on Celebrity Family Feud this week — WABI-TV, checked July 22, 2026

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Questions people are asking

Why is Cooper Flagg trending right now?

Because of a TV appearance. He and his family were on Celebrity Family Feud on July 23, 2026, on ABC, playing for charity against Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports. The episode aired that night; as of publication the winner had not been confirmed, so this piece does not state one.

What team does Cooper Flagg play for?

The Dallas Mavericks. They drafted him No. 1 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft.

How did he do as a rookie?

Very well. In 2025-26 he averaged about 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists and led all NBA rookies in scoring, per NBA.com.

Did Cooper Flagg win Rookie of the Year?

Yes. He was named 2026 NBA Rookie of the Year on April 27, 2026, narrowly beating Duke teammate Kon Knueppel (56 first-place votes to 44), per ESPN. To be clear, that is Rookie of the Year — not MVP.

How old is Cooper Flagg, and where is he from?

He is 19, born December 21, 2006, in Newport, Maine.

Was he National Player of the Year at Duke?

Yes. As a freshman in 2024-25 he was the consensus National Player of the Year, sweeping the Wooden, Naismith, AP, USBWA, and NABC awards — the fourth freshman ever to do it, per Duke Athletics.

When does Cooper Flagg play next?

His second NBA season with the Mavericks is expected to tip off in the fall of 2026. The 2026-27 schedule and his opener were not yet confirmed at publication, so no specific date is given here.

The bottom line

The Family Feud clip is the reason the search traffic spiked tonight, but it is a footnote to the actual résumé: a Maine-raised forward who was the best player in college basketball, went No. 1 to Dallas, led all rookies in scoring, and won Rookie of the Year — all before his second pro season. Use the timeline above to walk the whole arc; every node carries its own source, and it will still be accurate long after the game show fades from the feed.