Newport native Cooper Flagg made waves on social media Monday with videos of him scoring on various United States Olympians being circulated by the New York Times, the Washington Post and USA Today among other outlets.
The 17-year-old became the first collegian since 2013 to be rostered by the USA Select Team ahead of the Olympics, and is expected to become the first born-and-raised Mainer to play in the NBA — in addition to being drafted with the No. 1 overall pick in 2025.
Yet Flagg wasn’t the only member of the Select Team with Maine roots.
On the sidelines was University of Maine Hall of Fame guard and two-time captain of the Black Bears (1996-97) Jim Boylen, now an assistant coach for the Indiana Pacers and the USA Select Team.
“It’s fun, exciting and stressful,” Boylen said. “You’re working with these young guys that are the pipeline to the Olympic team, and the Olympic team is prideful too. They don’t want to get beat by the Select Team.”
Over the course of two days and five quarters worth of scrimmaging, the Olympians barely outlasted the Select Team (composed of 14 early-career NBA stars and Flagg) by a combined score of 117-112, with Flagg dropping 17 points on day two (Monday).
Similar to Phoenix Suns All-Star Devin Booker and Miami Heat All-Rookie first-teamer Jaime Jaquez Jr, Boylen repeatedly expressed his amazement at Flagg’s fearlessness and feel for the game.
“The most impressive thing is that he’s not scared,” Boylen said. “He played really well both days, and is an elite two-way player. He makes people around him better.”
Flagg’s 17-point outburst on day two included an and-one play over Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat, a turnaround jumper on Jrue Holiday of the Boston Celtics, and two separate 3-pointers over Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers — together, the trio share seven All-Defensive first-team selections.
Boylen believes the combination of Flagg’s natural athleticism and Maine upbringing is what makes the incoming Duke freshman so special.
“Maine players are tough and so respectful of the game. They work hard, care, and fight,” Boylen said. “Cooper has all those Maine attributes. He has an elite basketball IQ and a big motor. It’s cool to be around him.”
