Stepping off the practice court with Team USA—where he turned more than a few heads recently—and onto the 2024 ESPY Awards stage, Cooper Flagg’s dynamic high school career culminated with one of the most distinguished honors on Thursday night: Gatorade Player of the Year.
The Duke commit and top-rated recruit from the class of 2024 was presented with the award by Former Gatorade Best Female Players of the Year Candace Parker and Paige Bueckers. Flagg now joins a list of top alumni that includes Jayson Tatum, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, and Karl-Anthony Towns, plus the 2024 Female Player of the Year, Sadie Engelhardt.
“It’s an honor to take home this award, and having it handed to me by some of the biggest names in basketball makes it even better,” said Flagg in a statement. “The list of former Gatorade Best Players of the Year speaks for itself, so it’s special to put my name next to theirs.”
The 6-foot-9 basketball star’s resume hardly needs a major rehash at this point, with Flagg proving multiple times that he is a generational talent, from his time at Montverde (Fla.), where he helped lead the Eagles to a 34-0 record last season and the Chipotle Nationals title, to his current high-flying highlights with USA Basketball.
Duke commit Cooper Flagg has taken over USA Basketball scrimmage: hits a three and then finishes a tough putback pic.twitter.com/SB3Y4fDpYt
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) July 8, 2024
Like all the Gatorade nominees throughout the 20-year history, Flagg created a top-tier career on the court while standing just as tall in the class and community.
The future Blue Devil participated in fundraisers for the Ronald McDonald House and Donovan Kurt Memorial Cancer Fund, volunteered at youth basketball camps and clinics in Maine and Florida, and maintained a 4.10 GPA.
“Our Gatorade Player of the Year class embodies the future of sport, so we’re energized to celebrate their accomplishments and bright futures during this one-of-a-kind experience,” said Gatorade president and general manager Mike Del Pozzo in a statemnet. “For decades Gatorade Players of the Year have gone on to have incredible success both on the field of play and in their communities, and we can’t wait to see what these athletes do next.”
