Cooper Flagg is the pride of Maine, and he's psyched to represent it in the NBA

The state of Maine, often associated with breathtaking nature and lobster rolls, is about to be front and center at this year’s NBA draft, as Cooper Flagg is expected to make history as the first No. 1 pick from the Pine Tree State.

The state of Maine, often associated with breathtaking nature and lobster rolls, is about to be front and center at this year’s NBA draft, as Cooper Flagg is expected to make history as the first No. 1 pick from the Pine Tree State.

“It’s a really cool feeling, really cool for me to go through and kind of have all the support of Maine behind me,” Flagg told NBC News at the AT&T Flaggship Experience event in New York City ahead of the draft, which begins Wednesday night.

“I actually got to go home for a little bit this summer so far, and just seeing all the support and seeing everybody was really good for me, and it’s just such a cool feeling knowing that I have the whole state behind me, and it’s kind of history that I’m being able to do.”

Flagg is from Newport (pop. 3,133), a town 30 minutes west of Bangor, known not for its basketball players but for its natural beauty. And regardless of where he’s drafted, Flagg will become just the third person born in Maine to play in the NBA, and the first one to be drafted in 41 years. Illinois and North Carolina currently lead the way with seven No. 1 picks each since the draft began in 1947.

“More than just my family, my village of people back home in Maine and my supporters who have kind of carried me through everything, and my supporters are really important to me and who I am today,” Flagg said.