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NEW YORK — With the basketball world watching, Newport native Cooper Flagg walked across the Barclays Center stage as the first pick in the 2025 NBA draft. It was the culmination of what’s been expected for months.

Flagg, 18, will begin his professional career with the Dallas Mavericks, who earned the right to select the Duke standout when they won the NBA draft lottery last month.

He also becomes the first Maine native to be selected No. 1 in the draft of one of the nation’s major sports leagues.

“My mindset has always been to be a winner, so I’m going to try to win as hard as I can everywhere I go,” he said. “I’m looking forward to being successful and winning a lot of games, for sure.”

The Seattle Mariners selected South Portland native Bill Swift  No. 2 overall in the 1984 Major League Baseball draft, following a standout career at the University of Maine. Mark Rogers, who went to Mt. Ararat High in Topsham, was the No. 5 pick in the 2004 MLB draft, going to the Milwaukee Brewers. In 1998, the Cleveland Rockers selected Clinton native and UMaine standout Cindy Blodgett with the No. 6 pick in the WNBA draft.

In one season with the Blue Devils, Flagg quickly established himself as the top player in college basketball. The Wooden Award winner as national player of the year and a first team All-American, Flagg led Duke to the Final Four of the NCAA tournament, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game.

Flagg’s journey to the NBA winded from Newport, where he and his twin brother Ace led Nokomis to the Class A title in 2022 as freshmen, to Montverde Academy in Florida, to Duke, where he helped the Blue Devils win an ACC title.

On Wednesday night, Flagg said he tried to embrace the journey, but acknowledged he couldn’t wait for draft night to come.

“I tried to enjoy it as best I could,” he said. “Obviously, I’m antsy, I’m anxious. I wanted to get going. I was working out the whole time. I was excited to get this process over with. But at the same time, it’s a dream come true to go through this whole process, be here, enjoy it. I think I tried to do that to the best of my ability.

In Brooklyn and in spots around Maine, Mainers celebrated the success of their native son. Watch parties were held across the state, with some attracting ESPN personalities.

Earlier Wednesday, Maine Gov. Janet Mills declared June 25 “Cooper Flagg Day” in Maine.

“Cooper Flagg’s extraordinary talent and dedication to basketball has earned him national acclaim as perhaps the most promising player of his generation. He is a source of tremendous pride for Maine,” Mills said in a statement. “I have proclaimed today as Cooper Flagg Day, so all the people of Maine can celebrate his achievement, hard work, perseverance and sportsmanship, which should inspire youth across our state to pursue their dreams with Cooper’s signature determination.”