PORTLAND, Maine — Editor's note: The attached video was published on March 8, 2024.
Cooper Flagg, the most highly touted basketball player to come out of Maine, has received another honor to add to his ever-growing resume.
Flagg, 17, on Friday was named the 2024 Naismith High School Player of the Year. Previous winners include LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.
"It is a great honor that wouldn’t have been possible without my parents, coaches, and teammates, who motivate me every day to get better," Flagg said in a statement.
Flagg, of Newport, led Nokomis Regional High to a state championship when he was a freshman and was named the 2022 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year. He currently attends Florida's Montverde Academy, known for producing top basketball prospects. The 6-foot, 9-inch forward this season led Montverde to a 30-0 record and the No. 1 ranking in the country. He averaged 16.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.7 blocks and 1.6 steals a game.
Flagg is ESPN's No. 1 high school basketball prospect. He will attend Duke University in the fall and is projected to be the potential No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Flagg won the Naismith honor alongside Sarah Strong of North Carolina.
"We couldn’t be more excited to acknowledge their exceptional achievements and extend our best wishes as they embark on the next chapter of their basketball journey at the collegiate level," said Eric Oberman, president of the Atlanta Tipoff Club, which announced the awards based on selections by basketball journalists. "Their remarkable success is a testament to their talents and relentless work ethic."
The Naismith Award is named after basketball inventor James Naismith.