All over the world, athletic prodigies are discovered for their skills at a young age. Take Cooper Flagg. The 17-year-old freshman plays for the Duke Blue Devils and has been incredibly hyped up in the last couple of years for his skills on the court. He has been receiving tons of major coverage by the sports media world. Between being a top player at Montverde Academy, which has the best high school program in the country, and securing endorsements from Gatorade and New Balance, he’s kind of a big deal. He has already made multiple accomplishments at a young age, including being named the youngest USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year at just 15 years old. All of this to say, Flagg is anticipated to be the No. 1 pick in next year’s NBA draft. To some, this may sound like just another story about a young basketball prodigy making a name for themself. But this isn’t just another kid who started out playing in a big city. It’s the opposite. What sets Flagg apart from the others is where his story begins.

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In a small town in rural Maine, I grew up down dusty Route 7, 15 minutes from Flagg’s hometown of Newport, Maine where he spent the early part of his basketball career shooting hoops at his farmhouse. To put in perspective how rural we are talking here, the only Walmart that’s within less than an hour’s drive from my town is in Newport. Looking for a shopping mall? If the Bangor Mall is still in business, by the time you get there, you can hit up the random furniture store, or else you’re driving nearly 3 hours south to the next one. Most of the surrounding school’s populations are less than a thousand kids in total.

When I was in school, sports became everything for lots of kids because there wasn’t much else to do socially besides that. Even so, we haven’t always been known for our nationally recognized basketball prodigies. Sure, basketball is huge in the State of Maine. I mean we literally get a whole week off from school just for the championship tournaments! We have seen many great players come from our high schools and go on to play in college, but nobody quite like Flagg.

He didn’t play at Nokomis High School for long, and I don’t blame him. One thing that Mainers with big dreams understand is that you must spread your wings if you want to accomplish your goals. As a Maine native myself with enthusiastic goals, I decided to attend college out of state. People always ask me why I chose Pace University and why I chose New York. My answer? There are simply better opportunities here to become something more than an anchor for the local news.

So, Flagg heads out to finish his high school career in Florida at a school with the best basketball program in the country to become the player he is today, and he made the right decision. Maine isn’t necessarily on every NBA scout’s radar. The Pine Tree State hasn’t seen a native player selected for the NBA draft since 1984, and there is the lone Division I Men’s basketball program at the University of Maine that has never even made it to the NCAA tournament. It could not have been easy for Flagg, leaving family and friends, but if he hadn’t taken that big leap to maximize his potential, I don’t believe he would be in the position he is in now.

What is most commendable about Flagg’s story is that he never forgot where he came from, and Maine locals won’t forget it either. This past summer, Flagg returned home and hosted a two-day basketball camp for young kids alongside his twin brother Ace Flagg who recently committed to the team at the University of Maine. In one day, every single spot for the camp was filled. Parents and their children alike were beyond thrilled to see the local celebrity up close. You can’t blame folks for their excitement. Where we are from, something like this doesn’t happen every day.

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Even though Flagg had to go beyond his home to further his career, his story is admirable, particularly because of where he grew up. Flagg’s skills on the court as a kid went from being the talk of his small New England town to being the talk of the basketball world nationwide. Our local community is proud of Flagg’s accomplishments like he was our own family because when you live in a small town, family is pretty much what we are.

Cooper Flagg is an inspiration to young kids in Maine who want to make it big, whether it’s in sports or whatever they hope to be, Flagg’s story proves that it doesn’t matter where you come from. But it does pose a point to the harsh reality of it all, and it is that growing up in a small town in Maine limits your possibilities for greatness if you do not have direct access to opportunities. Flagg could have settled, but he had bigger dreams in mind. He made it to where he is today through hard work, sacrifice, and above all else, support from his family. Anything is possible, you just have to be willing to step out of your comfort zone.