Cooper Flagg, Teen Basketball Sensation, Isn’t Feeling Starstruck Yet

For most American teenagers, the summer after high school graduation is all about having a good time. But for 17-year-old Cooper Flagg, who will soon become perhaps the biggest men’s college basketball star since fellow Duke legend Zion Williamson, the final days of childhood won’t exactly be spent driving around his hometown soaking up memories with friends and family. Instead, Flagg has been balling. The youngest participant in Team USA basketball practices, Flagg has already earned kudos from the likes of Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, and Jayson Tatum for his performance against the squad that America will send to the upcoming Olympics. Again, this dude is 17, and he didn’t look scared at all going against some of the best players in the world.

Last week, the kid from Newport, Maine was named the Gatorade Best Male Player of the Year—previously given to guys like LeBron James and Jayson Tatum—distinguishing him as the best male high school athlete in the nation. “The list of former Gatorade Best Players of the Year speaks for itself,” Flagg said. “It’s special to put my name next to theirs.”

Between the scrimmage heard ‘round the world and his appearance at last week’s ESPY Awards, Flagg took a breather to chat with GQ. He knows that several NBA front offices will not-so-secretly be praying their team is bad enough to draft him next summer, and also that the vitriol he’ll get at Duke will be through the roof. But for Flagg, who left his high school in Maine after freshman year to enroll at athletic powerhouse Montverde Academy in Florida, that’s all the cost of being the best.

It’s been great! I’m coming off a long high school season—I think we played close to 40 games—so I got a little down time now. Spent a little time with my family, took a vacation in Cancun, then I’ve just been in the gym doing skill work. I got to Duke, got to meet all my teammates and started summer workouts. It’s been really good to kick things off out there and prepare for the season. It’s time to ramp it back up and start preparing more and more. It’s a long road ahead. Getting my body right, getting my mentals right, just being prepared.

We still had prom and graduation. It’s a pretty normal experience, it was just a new environment being away from home and making new friends.

There were a lot of differences in terms of how the school was run, the rules, certain standards. But it was a great transition for me. I felt like I definitely made the right choice in going there. I had a great two years, and I’m really blessed to have the resources and opportunities that they provide there.

We had finished Montverde practice, and then Paolo Banchero from the Magic came to our gym. He brought the trophy out after practice and surprised me.

I didn’t.

I didn’t really think about any of the awards. It definitely crossed my mind a couple times, but I was never actively thinking, I have to win this. I was just playing my game. But it was really cool. I was kind of shocked. I wasn’t really expecting it at all. It was a great experience to share that moment with my teammates.

Oh yeah, for sure. Reading through the list of names on the trophy, it shows what type of company you’ve joined once you’ve won that award. It’s really cool.

For sure, I kind of grew up on Gatorade. It’s what we always had in our family. I definitely like it a lot. Yellow is my favorite flavor.

Yeah, he was at our celebration. It was cool, a really good environment, a lot of energy. It’s cool to be in that environment with other athletes from different sports and build a relationship. It was a really good time.

It’s kind of weird sometimes. For me, I just see them as regular people. I think that’s what people can’t see sometimes. Even if people are celebrities or they’re famous, they’re still just regular people at the end of the day. I see everyone as a regular person. I’ve enjoyed getting to know different types of people that do different things.

Nah, I think I’m definitely a normal person. I think everybody who knows me would say that. I’m just like anybody else. Go about my business, handle what I have to. I like to think that I’m pretty down to earth and connected with society right now.

Not really. The only time I really felt like that was at the Team USA thing when I first walked in there and saw people I had idolized growing up. Seeing all those players was kind of surreal for me, but after that it felt pretty normal, and I was able to just fit in and play basketball.

The nerves were definitely high! I was pretty nervous to be in that environment and play against that level of players. Once I got on the court, all the nerves kind of went away. That’s how it’s kind of always been for me. Once I start playing, the pressure and the nerves and whatever I’m thinking about goes away. I’m able to just lock in and play. That’s a difference maker I think, being able to forget about everything and just play basketball. But I definitely had some nerves going into it.

No, I was the youngest one. It was cool.

I don’t think that’s ever been difficult for me, just because I have a really tight circle and people who help me stay humble and grounded. Having a support system that’s here for me all the time has been really helpful.

I think just playing at Cameron. That’s an atmosphere that’s hard to find. I’ve heard so much about it, and I’m really excited. I can’t wait to get on the court and play in front of that type of crowd.

For sure. I was talking to Kevin Love about how there will be a target on us. It’s something that we’re going to acknowledge and move forward with. It’s going to make our whole team closer, bring us together, and make us better in the end.

I try not to think about it too much. Things like that are out of my control. It kind of shows the work that I’ve put in, and feels like the outcome of everything that I’ve done to this point. It’s a good sign for me to keep pushing and keep working. It motivates me to stay on the right track and stay grounded.