Who is Cooper Flagg? New NBA phenom sparking debate and conspiracy theories

Cooper Flagg was selected by the Dallas Mavericks with the 1st overall pick. Colin Cowherd discusses the expectations on Flagg and how he’ll handle the NBA.

Amid declining TV ratings, the NBA welcomed its newest young superstar to the league on Wednesday night when Cooper Flagg was drafted with the No. 1 overall pick by the Dallas Mavericks out of Duke. 

As one of the most hyped prospects in recent NBA history, many experts are anointing the 6-foot-9 Maine native as potentially the next face of the league. 

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Here's everything to know about Flagg, who has already made some noteworthy history before even stepping onto an NBA court: 

The last time a White American-born player like Flagg was the first pick in the NBA Draft was Kent Benson in 1977. Since then, every first overall pick has been either a minority, foreign-born, or both. 

ESPN star Stephen A. Smith made a comment about Flagg's skin color during a televised discussion on the network with co-host Jay Williams in March while discussing the phenom's marketability in the NBA. 

Cooper Flagg, right, shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected first overall by the Dallas Mavericks In the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in New York.  (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

"Think about all the conversations that we have, regardless of whether players like it or not, I hate it, but it’s a real thing about, who is gonna be the face of the league?" Williams asked.

"Cooper Flagg now. There are pictures of him in college basketball with his face and the American flag behind it. Think about everything happening in our country right now. About what it means to be America. ‘America