Years before signing a lucrative rookie contract with the Dallas Mavericks – which sets him up with a cool $13.8 million in just the first year – Cooper Flagg was living a different kind of dream. Back in the small town of Corinna, Maine, Flagg cut his teeth not on the hardwood but in the fields, working as a pea picker at Thunder Road Farm alongside his brothers Ace and Hunter. Their payday was as simple as it got: $1 for every pound of peas they collected.
But for young Cooper, this wasn’t just a summer job; it was the start of a journey imbued with competition and drive. “Cooper the pea picker was very competitive,” recalls Kelly Flagg, Cooper’s mom. “He was out to make more money than his brothers. Mornings were spent in a flurry of pea-picking fervor before the heat of the day set in, and let me tell you, he was all in.”
Cooper’s first week brought in $100, an amount that had the farm owners, Charlie and Barb Peavey, reconsidering their budgets. Barb reminisces, “A lot of kids come to the farm thinking it’s easy. They fool around and chat; Cooper never did that. His focus was on that bucket, nose to the grindstone.”
The Peaveys’ farm, rich with strawberries, corn, and potatoes, was a proving ground for Cooper. Each handpicked pea planted early seeds of work ethic and determination. “It helps with your work ethic,” Cooper reflects. “And let’s face it, who doesn’t like making a little cash while hanging out with friends?”
Fast forward to today, and that competitive spark, honed in the fields of Maine, has transitioned beautifully onto the basketball court. Now at 18, Flagg stands tall at 6-foot-8 and brings an all-around game that has the Mavericks and the NBA buzzing. The solid showcase he put together at Duke, highlighted by a box plus/minus rating that placed him with the likes of Zion Williamson and Anthony Davis, speaks volumes. But those in Dallas are just as excited by his intangibles – the ultimate competitor who doesn’t just play to win but lives to.
Mavericks GM Nico Harrison put it best: “With Flagg, it’s not just his game that stands out; it’s his character and drive. He’s a culture builder.”
Before his leap into the professional league, Flagg sharpened his skills at Montverde Academy and made waves at Duke. He didn’t just make noise; he led with authority. His 42-point masterclass against Notre Dame was one for the books, a prelude to Duke’s spirited run to the NCAA Final Four.
Despite his rising stardom and newfound millionaire status, Flagg has managed to stay true to his roots. On a two-day visit to Dallas before the NBA Draft, he settled in without the usual entourage, opting instead for intimate dinners with the Mavericks’ front office and his future teammates.
“We’re just so proud of how he’s managed all this with such grace. He’s kept those Maine roots alive,” shares Peavey.
As Cooper gears up for NBA Summer League action, Coach Jason Kidd eyes him as a versatile option on the court, part of a plan that highlights Flagg’s potential both as a lead guard and a wing player. Kidd can’t help but be impressed by Flagg’s maturity and poise. “Listening to him, it’s incredible. Here’s an 18-year-old who just gets it,” he observes.
And while Flagg gets ready to make his NBA debut, back in Maine, the Peaveys continue to celebrate his journey with their annual corn maze, a tribute dubbed “The Maine Event,” carved into the crops as a salute to one of their own, now forever dunking in spirit over the fields he once worked.
From pea picker to the top pick, Cooper Flagg’s journey is a tale woven with competition, resolve, and an unshakable sense of self. His mother Kelly encapsulates it well, “Whether peas or hoops, he turns everything into a competition.”
