When Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum held his inaugural Nike Elite Basketball Camp earlier this summer, he knew who he was going to invite and a name at the top of the list was Maine native Cooper Flagg.

Flagg is currently 16-years-old and is the No. 1 player in the country and is the top prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft class. He plays in Florida at Montverde Academy, averaging 9.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game in his first season at the academy.

Before attending Tatum’s camp near the end of July, Flagg competed in the Peach Jam where he produced a legendary performance, scoring 38-points, grabbing 16 rebounds, and making 10 blocks in a double overtime elimination game win.

Flag’s total state line from the Peach Jam was 25.4 points, 13 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 6.8 blocks per game. He has great versatility and defensive instincts on the other end of an impressive offensive repertoire.

Similar to Tatum, Flagg is currently on the fast path in the basketball, as he’s already received college offers as early as the eighth grade from Bryant University but most recently: Duke, UCLA, UCONN, Providence, Michigan, Kansas, Villanova, and Texas.

In a recent interview with Jeff Goodman, Tatum expressed that he was impressed with Flagg and what he saw while working with him at his camp.

“I like him a lot. Obviously, he’s athletic, he can dribble, shoot. The thing that impressed me was how hard he competed on both ends. He’s got an edge about him, not arrogant. He knows he’s good, but he realizes he’s got a long way to go. He’s going at guys, going at the pros. He was trying to block every shot, getting every rebound. He wasn’t playing cool. He was playing hard, competing. He was asking questions a lot, listening.”

I wonder if Tatum sees a younger version of himself when he watches Flagg play. The two have a similar stature, both listed as being 6-foot-8 while Tatum is 10 lbs. heavier at 210 lbs and Flagg is 200.

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