NEWPORT — If the real party tonight was in Brooklyn rather than here, it was hard to tell.

Whether it was at Hamlin’s Marina, The Grove, or Nokomis Regional High School, cheers erupted each time there was a mention of Cooper Flagg, Maine, or Newport during NBA draft coverage, or whenever their respective locations were shown.

“That’s us!” shouted one little boy to his father as ESPN cut live to the watch party at Hamlin’s, on the southeastern shore of Sebasticook Lake.

Yes, this night was “us” for hundreds of Mainers that came out to watch parties in Flagg’s hometown and elsewhere across the state. The moment they expected to see became a reality as Flagg, a Newport native and former Nokomis player, was selected first overall in the 2025 NBA draft by the Dallas Mavericks.

Hours before the draft, Piper Randall was in disbelief as to what was about to unfold. The 11-year-old from Dixmont said the draft has always been where stars from the big city see their dreams come true — not something you’d expect of someone from a small town like hers.

On Wednesday, Randall and hundreds of others from the Newport area were gathered at Hamlin’s to see one of their own get the honor. She was with her friends Lauren Cole, 10, also of Dixmont, and Skylar Roundy, 10, of St. Albans, to celebrate a star from their community.

“It’s really inspiring to me,” said Randall, a student at Nokomis Regional Middle School, where Flagg once attended. “They’re normally from a lot more popular states, but Maine’s more chill. It’s so cool to see.”

“He went to a basketball camp I went to,” Cole added. “It’s cool to see someone from Maine do this.”

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This was a night that created many Dallas Mavericks fans in Maine, but some were fans of the team before the Mavs won the draft lottery a month ago. Julie and Kourtney Bradbury of Corinna have been Dallas fans for five years after falling in love with superstar Luka Dončić.

The Bradburys were devastated when, in early February, Dallas traded their favorite player to the Los Angeles Lakers as part of a three-team deal with the Utah Jazz. When the Mavericks were the last card pulled in the lottery on May 12, though, that wrong was at least partially righted.

“I literally fell on the floor,” Kourtney Bradbury said. “I mean, a 1.8 percent chance? That’s crazy. … Getting Cooper is amazing. It totally makes up for (the Luka trade).”

Sure, in Flagg, the Mavericks have a new franchise player, but they also have a Mainer. It hits home on a personal level for Julie Bradbury, who has some personal ties to the Flagg family.

“My sister and brother graduated with his grandparents, and I worked with his grandmother and have known Kelly (Cooper’s mother) since she was a little girl,” Julie Bradbury said. “It’s huge; it means everything to us.”

The inside of the hallway at The Grove, in southeast Newport, was adorned in maroon and white balloons, representing Nokomis High School. Among those in attendance was Greyson McFarlin, 11, of Palmyra, who was sporting a blue No. 2 Cooper Flagg Duke jersey.

“I like his focus,” McFarlin said. “I like all (his dunks).”

McFarlin said he was OK with Dallas selecting Flagg with the No. 1 pick but wanted another team to trade up for the selection.

“I hope for the Celtics,” McFarlin said. “He also needs to be on the (Orlando) Magic.”

Sueanne Tibbetts of West Bath was attending the party at The Grove with her husband of 27 years, Chad Tibbetts — a native of the area and former classmate of Cooper Flagg’s father, Ralph Flagg. She was also decked out in a Duke jersey.

“I think this is great,” Sueanne Tibbetts said. “I love that he’s from a small town and that everyone in this area is super supportive about anything. It’s really exciting.”

“I love (Newport),” Tibbetts continued. “Everybody gets along. It’s a good community.”

Tibbetts was not originally a fan of Duke basketball but became one once Flagg was recruited. She said she’ll root for the Mavericks and buy a Flagg jersey.

“My whole family from southern Maine is following along now,” Tibbetts said. “Everyone’s on it.”

At Nokomis, fans attended a watch party hosted by New Balance. Kids and adults played rounds of knockout, trying to win free T-shirts while waiting for the draft to begin.

“I think this is really cool,” said Jhett Johndro, 13, of Newport. “(I’ve been following Flagg) since third grade. He came over to the elementary school to do some dunks and shooting for us.”

It wasn’t just Newport partying over Flagg, either. Watch parties for the Newport native were held throughout the state, in Falmouth, Portland, Bangor, Brewer, Belfast and even all the way up in Houlton.

The Falmouth event at Rivalries, a popular sports bar, was a ticketed event held by In Flagg We Trust, an organization with ties to the Flagg family that supports Ronald McDonald House Charities. The roar there from 100 fans, most wearing white Cooper Flagg T-shirts, was no less enthusiastic.

“It’s amazing for our whole state,” said Sterlynn Marx of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Maine. “Kids in Maine today are going to have this amazing role model to look up to, and as adults, we’ll have another reason to tune into the games as we support Cooper in his journey.”

Sun Journal staff writer Haley Jones contributed to this story.