Maine Native Cooper Flagg Named to Time's Influential Sports List

Death. Taxes. Cooper Flagg being named to a prestigious list. These are the three guarantees of life.

At least that's been the truth over the past four or so years for the Newport, Maine, native. Flagg has been one of the true belles of the ball in the basketball world, and it's well earned.

Is Cooper Flagg One of the Most Influential Figures in Sports?

The latest accolade comes from the iconic Time Magazine. The publication recently released its inaugural list of the 100 Most Influential People in Sports, and Flagg was included.

Here's a little excerpt explaining why Flagg was included on this prestigious list:

Perhaps the most well-rounded American prospect since James, Flagg has lived up to the hype–and has softened the blow for Mavericks fans still upset by the unpopular trade of Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. A basketball battleground is brewing in the Lone Star State. Over the next two decades, Flagg and Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs may be fighting for hoops supremacy.

Well, he certainly has lived up to the hype so far.

Flagg was everything—and more—than what was advertised to teams in his first year. The phenom had the kind of season every Dallas Mavericks fan dreamed of. And even though Dallas failed to make the playoffs, it doesn't take away from what this team has for the future: a bona fide superstar.

Flagg was the unquestioned leader, often playing multiple positions, including point guard, because of consistent holes in the roster. It was a lot to ask of any young player, and asking a 19-year-old rookie to take on that role speaks volumes.

Flagg led the team in scoring (21.0 points per game, which also ranked among the top 25 in the league), ranked fourth in rebounding (6.7), second in assists (4.5), and first in steals (1.2). Those numbers improved throughout the year as the young rookie found his footing in the league.

What Other NBA Stars Were Included on Time Magazine's Most Influential List?

Flagg is joined by an incredible number of athletes on the list, including many from the basketball world, such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Michael Jordan, Victor Wembanyama, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Masai Ujiri, and Jalen Brunson. That's quite a cavalcade of stars to be associated with.

Congrats to Cooper on yet another wonderful accolade. It's amazing to see how much he has already accomplished, considering he's still just 19 years old.

You can check out the entire list here.

Here Are All the Awards Maine's Cooper Flagg Won at Duke

Newport native Cooper Flagg had one of the best freshman seasons we have ever seen in college basketball. Here's a closer look at the awards the Duke forward won.

Gallery Credit: Chris Sedenka