Flagg has gone from sitting on a bucket for hours at a time harvesting peas to finding a place in the NBA as the No. 1 draft pick.

Cooper Flagg knows the expectations. ... Kidd has previously praised Flagg’s maturity and competitive drive, calling his mindset rare for an 18-year-old entering the league.

For about two years, Cooper Flagg has been expected to be the top pick in the 2025 NBA draft. That will finally become a reality Wednesday, as the Dallas Mavericks are set to select the former Duke star first overall.

“Y ou kind of have to think of the Kobe [Bryant] arc, ” former Mavericks majority owner Mark Cuban told a small group of reporters. “It took him some time to get it right. I don’t want to curse him by comparing him to Kobe because they’re not the same. But Kobe didn’t come in right away as a polished player. It took him two years to get it.”

Flagg, drafted No. 1 by the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, had a few suitors wanting him to represent their shoe and apparel product.

Kelly Flagg, Cooper Flagg's mother, ... Cooper, now 18 and 6-foot-9, says those games and his upbringing are at the root of his competitive drive. “They taught us from a young age, ...

Cooper Flagg may be the star athlete of his family, but basketball has played a huge role in each of his family members' lives.