Cooper Flagg & The Hobby

The Maine Event is Here

Cooper Flagg has arrived. With the recent release of 2025-26 Topps Basketball, the cover athlete of the flagship set and hottest rookie to chase takes the next step in The Hobby.

In celebration of the landmark moment for Flagg and Topps, let’s take a look at the No. 1 pick, the impact he’s already made in the card world, and his exciting future on the hardwood and in The Hobby.

The Maine Event

Cooper Flagg may be new to the NBA, but he’s been a sensation in the basketball world for years now. Born in Newport, Maine, Flagg headed to Florida after his freshman year, transferring to high school basketball juggernaut Montverde Academy. By 2023, he reclassified and became eligible for NCAA play in 2024, setting up one of the greatest freshman seasons in recent memory.

Before he’d even made the move to college ball, Flagg wowed the best players in the world, letting the league know he was coming. His now-famous scrimmage performance against members of the 2024 Paris Olympics U.S. Men’s Basketball Team is the stuff of legends.

In an interview about the moment, Flagg told ESPN, “I definitely just had that feeling that I knew I belonged. I knew I could be out there.” Now-teammate and NBA Champion Anthony Davis said of Flagg that day, “Zero nerves. He went out and balled.”

That same year, Flagg had been named a McDonald’s All-American. As the top recruit in his class, it was no surprise to see Flagg emerge as the biggest chase in 2024 Topps Chrome® McDonald’s All-American. An array of highly coveted Flagg cards from the set have become an impressive illustration of his meteoric rise in The Hobby. By March 2025, a SuperFractor auto from the set sold for almost $30,000. Five months later, another All-American auto SuperFractor 1/1 sold for $84,000. 

At writing, Cardladder has already registered 46 Flagg sales of $10,000 or more, including this card, which sold for over $14,000 on June 27, 2025.

King of Cameron

Duke was a natural fit for the high-profile recruit, and from the moment his National Player of the Year-winning freshman campaign got underway, Flagg was lighting up The Hobby. On November 4, Topps NOW® commemorated Flagg’s Blue Devil debut with a spectacular image of him hammering home a huge dunk. 

In April 2025, this 1/1 patch auto of the card sold through Fanatics Collect for $33,000. Flagg finished his only season with Duke leading the team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. The future franchise player proved on a huge stage that he really could do it all.

Flagg’s rise in The Hobby can also be seen through the chase for his cards in 2024/25 Bowman Chrome University Basketball. His Chrome Auto SuperFractor 1/1 remains, at writing, the biggest Cooper Flagg card sale of all-time, fetching almost $100,000 in June 2025. The SuperFractor was inscribed by Flagg, “From the 207” — an homage to his start in Maine. 

Other inscriptions included this valuable Red Stealth Refractor Auto 1/1 that reads, “Gatorade National POTY.” The card sold for $60,000 on June 27, 2025.

Flagg’s Future is NOW

Cooper Flagg’s place at the top of the 2025 NBA Draft was a foregone conclusion long before he strode across the stage at Barclays Center. But, it’s an important moment, regardless. The Dallas Mavericks had improbably won the lottery, and the franchise was completely reenergized by the addition of this potential generational talent. 

Topps NOW’s draft night card of Flagg was in extremely high demand, ending up with an impressive print run of 123,650. On August 30 of this year, a Red Refractor Auto numbered to five sold for $16,000.

Given Flagg’s incredible potential and his already established place in The Hobby, it’s no surprise to see him named the cover athlete for 2025-26 Topps Basketball. The most highly featured rookie in this year’s release, the chase cards of Cooper Flagg are here for the hunting.

There’s little doubt this will be one of the biggest pulls in 2025-26 Topps Basketball. Flagg’s first-ever rookie card carries the ‘First Card’ stamp designation, making it a 1/1.

Flagg’s parallel and variation cards are certainly chase-worthy as well, and the Dallas rookie can also be chased in case-hit inserts such as Home Court, which sets Flagg against his new city.

Comic Court is another fun Flagg to hunt down, with the comic-book feel and eye-catching style turns Cooper into a superhero. Flagg’s inclusion in popular inserts like All Kings and a modern update of the rookie-themed insert Rise to Stardom give collectors other intriguing ways to collect the star rookie. 

Then, there’s the autos and relics. From Flagg’s Flagship Real One Rookie Autograph, to a fantastic Triple Rookie Photoshoot Autographs card featuring the top pick alongside Dylan Harper and Kon Knueppel, to his Rise to the Occasion relic card, the hits will be coming fast and furious.

Only days after the release, social media has been all atwitter with exciting pulls of the Dallas Mavericks rookie. On October 23, Topps announced on the pull of this All Kings Flagg. More big cards are sure to be unearthed by the hour. Happy hunting!

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