Basketball is a Flagg household pastime.
Duke College basketball star Cooper Flagg’s dad and mom, Kelly Bowman Flagg and Ralph Flagg, are each former faculty basketball gamers and went on to boost three sons who love the game.
Kelly and Ralph have been married for the reason that early 2000s and welcomed their first son, Hunter, in 2004. (His twin, Ryder, died two days after being born.) Two years later, Cooper and his twin brother, Ace, arrived. The couple raised their household in Newport, Maine, and the boys performed basketball within the driveway any likelihood they might.
“We could not play a recreation in our driveway with out somebody bleeding,” Ace informed New Middle Maine in April 2025. “The sport would finish when somebody ran in yelling for mother, nevertheless it was at all times enjoyable.”
These days, Ace, a three-time highschool state champion, has dedicated to the College of Maine, and Cooper, who’s projected to be the No. 1 total choose within the 2025 NBA Draft, has had a powerful freshman season at Duke College.
The Blue Devils are presently vying for an NCAA title and can face the Houston Cougars on April 5 within the Ultimate 4.
“[Cooper is] the very best child. That is all I can say, is he is only a good particular person and a superb boy. I’m very, very pleased with him,” Kelly informed ipromiseyoumedia in March 2025.
This is every little thing to learn about Cooper Flagg’s household, together with his dad and mom, Kelly and Ralph, and his two brothers, Hunter and Ace.
Kelly and Ralph performed faculty basketball
Cooper is the product of two faculty basketball gamers.
Kelly performed for the College of Maine within the late ’90s. She and her 1998–99 season teammates made UMaine girls’s basketball historical past after they gained this system’s first-ever NCAA match recreation, upsetting Stanford College.
In 2021, the crew was inducted into the college’s Sports activities Corridor of Fame. “It was a particular time! So proud and honored!” Kelly wrote on X forward of the ceremony.
As for Ralph, he performed basketball for Japanese Maine Neighborhood School.
The couple met shortly after faculty and bonded over their love of basketball. After they performed one-on-one, Ralph informed ESPN that he could not cease her up-and-under transfer.
“She was fairly lethal with that,” he informed the outlet in 2024. “And a fierce competitor.”
Kelly and Ralph welcomed 4 children, together with Cooper
Ralph and Kelly wed within the early 2000s and began a household.
Kelly grew to become pregnant with twins, however problems arose when, at 24 weeks, she went into untimely labor. The pair welcomed sons Hunter and Ryder on Aug. 4, 2004. Ryder died two days later, and Hunter was within the neonatal intensive care unit for 109 days.
The Flaggs lived in Newport, Maine, on the time — 90 minutes from Maine Medical Middle in Portland, the place Kelly had given delivery. So, the brand new mother stayed on the native Ronald McDonald Home till Hunter was wholesome sufficient to go house.
“I by no means left Portland,” she informed tuscon.com. “After Hunter was born, I stated, ‘I’m not leaving with out him.’ Being three minutes away as an alternative of an hour and a half was enormous.”
Ralph and Kelly ultimately determined to have extra youngsters. After a number of cycles of IVF, Kelly grew to become pregnant once more with twins. The pair welcomed Ace and Cooper on Dec. 21, 2006.
Cooper grew up within the health club with Ralph
At a younger age, Cooper confirmed immense promise on the basketball courtroom. He acquired his first faculty basketball scholarship supply in eighth grade, per Bangor Each day Information, and skipped his senior 12 months of highschool to attend Duke.
Cooper has uncooked expertise, however he informed Blue Satan Nation in January 2025 that his dad has at all times performed a giant half in his progress as a basketball participant.
“Getting again within the health club with my dad [is how I stay ready],” he stated. “I grew up within the health club with my dad. Late nights, early mornings, with him simply rebounding for me.”
Ace has dedicated to the College of Maine, the place Hunter attends faculty
Cooper’s brothers have additionally seen some basketball success through the years.
In 2022, Hunter, Ace and Cooper performed on the identical crew at Nokomis Regional Excessive College in Maine, and the trio led the squad to a state championship.
Two years later, Ace helped his crew at Montverde Academy in Florida safe a state championship, and most just lately, he led Greensboro Day College in North Carolina to a state title in February 2025.
“I am pleased with him,” Cooper stated throughout a press convention shortly after Greensboro’s large win. “[Ace] obtained three state championships in three completely different states by means of his highschool profession, in order that’s fairly cool.”
Ace will proceed his basketball profession on the College of Maine — the place Hunter is presently working towards a level in sports activities administration, per LinkedIn.
Kelly and Ralph are superstitious
Kelly and Ralph are their sons’ largest followers — and so they take their basketball superstitions very critically.
In March 2025, Kelly informed ipromiseyoumedia that she has to take a seat in the identical seat for each recreation and Ralph “cannot put on spirit gear on recreation days.”
“I like to take a seat by the identical particular person or in the identical seating order,” she defined, including, “[Ralph], on recreation days, he wears something however Duke gear.”
Kelly and Ralph went viral on the 2025 ACC Event
Throughout the ACC Event in March 2025, Cooper made a two-handed dunk in opposition to Duke’s largest rival, the College of North Carolina. The group went wild — together with Kelly, who was seen patting the highest of her head in celebration and yelling, “On his head. On his f—— head!”
Footage of Kelly’s pleasure within the stands went viral on social media, and many individuals thought her actions had been in unhealthy style. She later took to Fb and semi-apologized.
“I need to apologize to anybody who was offended by my language that was caught in a celebratory second. I do notice that it wasn’t my greatest look,” Kelly wrote earlier than including, “[It was] a second of being so pleased with our child and likewise a giant F-you to all the Carolina fan base for being classless a-holes.”
“In case you are UNC fan and didn’t prefer it…powerful,” she continued. “Go Duke.”
