Larry Bird is 50 years older than Cooper Flagg.
When ‘The Hick from French Lick’ played in his final NBA game on May 17 in 1992, Flagg was more than a decade away from being born.
But an overlooked kid from Maine grew up watching Boston world championship DVDs while criss-crossing the state in the back of a minivan.
When the No.1 overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft is announced on Wednesday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the child who grew up loving Larry the Legend will become part of a league that Bird once dominated.
The 18-year-old told talkSPORT about his unique connection with a Hall of Famer who paired with Magic Johnson to elevate the NBA in the 1980s, then helped the league go global while playing on the gold medal-winning 1992 USA Dream Team that featured Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley.
Bird has always stood out to Flagg, and he still serves as an inspiration as the former Duke Blue Devils star prepares to become the next big name in the NBA.
“Just the things he was about,” Flagg said on Tuesday during a pre-draft interview at a hotel in Manhattan.
“The way he played so hard on every possession. The way he was diving on the floor, doing all the little things.
“That’s kind of just the way I modeled my game when I was younger and that sort of stuff. I think that’s kind of why I play the way I am. I have to give credit to that — just modeling myself after him and the way he was able to play.”
The 6ft 9in and 205lb Flagg could add $1 billion in franchise value to the Dallas Mavericks, who lucked into the top pick after angering fans by trading away Luka Doncic to LeBron James‘ Los Angeles Lakers.
But when Flagg was asked which celebrity he wanted to see courtside during his first NBA game, he didn’t pick Kim Kardashian, Patrick Mahomes, Lionel Messi or Jay-Z.
The kid from Newport, Maine selected a a 68-year-old from Indiana who made 12 All-Star teams, earned ten All-NBA selections, won three NBA MVPs and collected three Finals trophies.
GettyFlagg dominated college and is ready for his next big step in the pros[/caption] GettyBird and Johnson elevated the NBA in the 1980s[/caption] GettyFlagg was the center of attention in New York[/caption]“I don’t know if you count Larry Bird as a celebrity, but that would be really cool,” Flagg told a reporter.
The future No. 1 pick was then asked about a ‘rapper’ attending his first game.
“I don’t have a favorite rapper,” Flagg said.
As a young Flagg proved himself to doubters and critics in the northeastern tip of the United States, DVDs of the title-winning 1985-86 Celtics were played on repeat in the family minivan.
“When I was younger, it felt like people would just shoot me down,” Flagg told DraftExpress.
“I felt like being just a kid from Maine, people were just kind of underestimating me and telling me that it wasn’t possible.”
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Flagg sometimes traveled for hours in his home state, just to attend a basketball practice.
With the closest NBA team more than 200 miles away, he was drawn to a Boston franchise that now tops league history with 18 world championships.
“We’re huge Celtics fans,” Kelly Flagg, Cooper’s mom, told NESN.
“We used to watch film on the Celtics with the older guys – (Larry) Bird, (Kevin) McHale, (Robert) Parish, (Danny) Ainge.”
While current NBA fans debate Flagg’s ‘ceiling’ as a top pick, his team-first versatility on the hardwood appears perfect for a league that has been defined by increased parity in recent years.
“Cooper Flagg would have been a top pick in any draft in history,” ESPN basketball analyst Jay Bilas exclusively told talkSPORT.
Living up to the Legend
Larry Bird and Cooper Flagg
Bird in collegeSchool: Indiana State (three years)Stats: 30.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.6 stealsDraft: No. 6 overall pick in 1978 by Boston Celtics
Flagg in collegeSchool: Duke (one year)Stats:Draft: Expected No. 1 overall pick by Dallas Mavericks
“He might not have been the top pick in any draft, but he’d be right up there because he’s a complete player.
“So it’s not a question of fit. There’s no system that he can’t fit into and thrive. He’s a team-guy and he’s got a we-first mentality as a star. But he still has the ego of a star, which is a nice combination.”
Similar attributes once were given to the highly competitive Bird, who averaged 24.3 points, 10 rebounds and 6.3 assists while shooting 49.6 percent from the floor and 88.6 percent from the free-throw line during a 13-year career with the Celtics.
The Mavericks are expected to call Flagg’s name on Wednesday, allowing Dallas fans to forget about the pain of watching Doncic join The King in purple and gold.
When Flagg becomes the next No.1 pick in NBA history, the kid from Maine will get closer than ever to the legend of Bird.
“My mind will probably be racing, going 100 miles an hour,” Flagg said.
“I’ll probably be thinking about every little thing. I’m going to try my best to slow down, enjoy the moment, and just soak it all in.”
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