Since seeing Cooper Flagg play, 8-year-old Lawson Pelletier has rediscovered basketball. He has started playing again, and he wants to model his game after Flagg.
“I think what Cooper has done for Lawson, he’s kind of reinvigorated his love for basketball,” Pelletier's dad, Shawn, said. “It just lit that spark. He’s in love with him.”
Lawson is not alone. Across Maine, Flagg — the local prodigy who's headed to Duke — has become a beacon of hope, a never-before-seen inspiration for the state’s next generation of young ballers. He’s opened doors for a previously overlooked region of hoops. A 17-year-old who projects as a top pick in next year’s NBA Draft, Flagg has made a profound impact. He’s allowed the Pine Tree State to dream.
“These kids, they believe in themselves,” Pelletier said. “Before it was always like, no kid from Maine is ever going to play high-level basketball or make an impact or even play in the NBA. And Cooper comes along. He’s given them that hope that hey, maybe I can do this.”
