Basketball phenom Cooper Flagg traversed the red carpet at the ESPYs in Los Angeles Thursday night, winning the 2024 Gatorade Male Player of the Year Award.
The 17-year-old Newport native was previously named Mr. Basketball USA and Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year, but his newest accolade distinguishes him as the nation’s best male high school athlete regardless of sport or class.
The award was presented to Flagg and his counterpart Sadie Engelhardt — the California-based track standout who won the Female Player of the Year Award — by WNBA stars Candace Parker and Paige Bueckers on stage at the Dolby Theater on Hollywood Boulevard.
“It’s an honor to take home this award, and having it handed to me by some of the biggest names in basketball makes it even better,” Flagg said in a statement. “The list of former Gatorade Best Players of the Year speaks for itself, so it’s special to put my name next to theirs.”
Previous winners of the Gatorade Male Player of the Year Award include LeBron James (2003), Arizona Cardinals Pro Bowl quarterback Kyler Murray (2015), Jayson Tatum of the Celtics (2016) and Kansas City Royals All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr (2019).
