Why did Duke star Cooper Flagg pick 2 as his jersey number? No. 1 recruit reveals heartwarming reason behind the decision

Duke Blue Devils star Cooper Flagg revealed that he took the No. 2 jersey number in honor of Donovan Kurt, a teammate of his older brother. Flagg, who grabbed headlines for being selected for the USA Men's Basketball Select Team roster, shared that Kurt greatly influenced his life.

Kurt died of brain cancer in November 2022, at just 19 years of age. Kurt played with Hunter Flagg at Nokomis Regional High School.

“He really impacted my life in a big way. Being able to represent him really meant a lot to me,” Flagg said on 'The Brotherhood Podcast' with teammate Caleb Foster.

Donovon Kurt was enrolled at Norwich University in Vermont to become an architect. He excelled in three sports: basketball, track, and soccer.

Cooper Flagg, who is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, was part of the team that won the national championship for the Nokomis regional in 2021–22. Donovon graduated a year before.

Flagg honored the memory of Kurt at the time he rubbed shoulders with basketball veterans like LeBron James, Jayson Tatum, and Kevin Durant.

Flagg was the first collegiate player to be a member of the select team since Doug McDermott and Marcus Smart were invited to a minicamp in 2013.

Why did Cooper Flagg wear the No. 32 jersey in high school?

The story behind Cooper Flagg wearing No. 32 at high school is equally heartwarming. At Nokomis Regional High School and later at Montverde Academy too, Flagg chose No. 32 to honor the memory of Stacey Clingan.

Stacey was the college teammate of Cooper Flagg's mother at the University of Maine. She died of breast cancer in 2018. Stacey's son, Donovon Clingan, had the same jersey number at the UConn Huskies.

What do you think about the choice of the Cooper Flag to honor the memories of his family and friends? Let us know in the comments section below.