There have been hundreds of amazing basketball players from Maine who excelled at the game, but never before has the state had an NBA player.That barrier will be broken Wednesday night when Cooper Flagg makes his debut for the Dallas Mavericks.There is high praise for Flagg within the Maine basketball community.”He’s the closest thing I’ve ever seen to Larry Bird as far as understanding the game itself,” said Maine Basketball Hall of Famer Bob Brown.Maine has seen its share of phenoms over the years, but the NBA seemed to be more dream than reality. Maine Basketball Hall of Famer Todd Hanson recalled a conversation he had with Steve Clifford, a former Maine high school basketball coach who has coached in the NBA for more than 20 years, about the level of talent in the state.”(Clifford) said out of all those great players, honestly, none of them really even came close to being on an NBA roster,” Hanson said. “To go from zero to 100 to the number one pick in the NBA draft is mind-boggling.”Brown and Dick Whitmore, who, combined, have coached high school and college basketball in Maine for 97 years, share an appreciation for the way Flagg plays and agree that if Maine were to have to wait this long for an NBA player, Maine deserved Flagg.”He is the one that Maine basketball people have been waiting for,” Whitmore said. “When you talk to people, you don’t get a whole lot of comparisons because he’s at that certain level above everybody else. That’s why it’s been extra special to watch him develop.””Cooper has made life easier for all the old people in the state of Maine who can’t get out (like me),” Brown said. “If you ask me if I’m going to go to the Expo and see the game, (I’d say): ‘No, it’s too hard.’ But I’m going to watch Cooper on TV.’Flagg’s make-up is Maine-made. If you could examine his basketball DNA, its branches extend to other influential figures in Maine basketball.”He’s one of us. He’s from Nokomis and his parents are from Maine. You could see him and I heard stories of Cooper when he was in the fourth grade,” said longtime Coach Dan Costigan. “Now all of a sudden, you see and it’s like: ‘You know what? Everyone was right that this guy is really unique.’ He’s really special and at the end of the day, we are very proud of him as a state.”

PORTLAND, Maine —

There have been hundreds of amazing basketball players from Maine who excelled at the game, but never before has the state had an NBA player.

That barrier will be broken Wednesday night when Cooper Flagg makes his debut for the Dallas Mavericks.

There is high praise for Flagg within the Maine basketball community.

“He’s the closest thing I’ve ever seen to Larry Bird as far as understanding the game itself,” said Maine Basketball Hall of Famer Bob Brown.

Maine has seen its share of phenoms over the years, but the NBA seemed to be more dream than reality. Maine Basketball Hall of Famer Todd Hanson recalled a conversation he had with Steve Clifford, a former Maine high school basketball coach who has coached in the NBA for more than 20 years, about the level of talent in the state.

“(Clifford) said out of all those great players, honestly, none of them really even came close to being on an NBA roster,” Hanson said. “To go from zero to 100 to the number one pick in the NBA draft is mind-boggling.”

Brown and Dick Whitmore, who, combined, have coached high school and college basketball in Maine for 97 years, share an appreciation for the way Flagg plays and agree that if Maine were to have to wait this long for an NBA player, Maine deserved Flagg.

“He is the one that Maine basketball people have been waiting for,” Whitmore said. “When you talk to people, you don’t get a whole lot of comparisons because he’s at that certain level above everybody else. That’s why it’s been extra special to watch him develop.”

“Cooper has made life easier for all the old people in the state of Maine who can’t get out (like me),” Brown said. “If you ask me if I’m going to go to the Expo and see the game, (I’d say): ‘No, it’s too hard.’ But I’m going to watch Cooper on TV.’

Flagg’s make-up is Maine-made. If you could examine his basketball DNA, its branches extend to other influential figures in Maine basketball.

“He’s one of us. He’s from Nokomis and his parents are from Maine. You could see him and I heard stories of Cooper when he was in the fourth grade,” said longtime Coach Dan Costigan. “Now all of a sudden, you see and it’s like: ‘You know what? Everyone was right that this guy is really unique.’ He’s really special and at the end of the day, we are very proud of him as a state.”