Duke freshman Cooper Flagg may have been the center of attention during the Blue Devils’ 82–69 victory over North Carolina on Saturday night, but his mother, Kelly Flagg, made headlines of her own after the game—firing back at UNC fans for what she described as disrespectful and crude behavior.
Flagg, a top NBA draft prospect, didn’t have his best shooting performance but still managed to fill the stat sheet, finishing with 15 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and four blocks in the final regular-season game of his freshman year.
His most electric moment came in the closing minutes of the game, when he threw down a thunderous two-handed dunk, igniting the Duke crowd and sealing the Tar Heels’ fate.
Cameras quickly panned to his parents in the stands, capturing a priceless reaction from his mother, Kelly, who was seen enthusiastically making the “on his head” celebration, a clear nod to her son’s dominance on the court. The moment quickly went viral, but on Sunday, she took to Facebook to reveal a much different side of the night—one filled with hostility from UNC fans.
RELATED: Former NBA Player Urges Cooper Flagg to Stay at Duke for Another Season
Kelly Flagg Calls Out UNC Fans for ‘Crudeness and Harassment’
In a strongly worded post, Kelly Flagg addressed the viral clip but also took aim at UNC’s fan base, alleging that she and her husband, as well as Cooper and his teammates, were subjected to extreme hostility from the Tar Heel crowd at the Dean Smith Center.
“It was a very intense situation we were put into, and we were taken aback by the crudeness of the UNC fans as we made our way into the arena,” she wrote.
While she offered an apology for her explicit language caught on camera during the game, she didn’t hold back in criticizing the relentless harassment she said they endured throughout the night.
“They continued to harass us, with much worse being spewed in our direction, as well as at our 18-year-old son and his teammates throughout the entirety of the game,” Flagg wrote.
She went on to explain that her passionate reaction to Cooper’s dunk was not just a moment of parental pride, but also a direct response to the behavior of UNC fans.
“The celebration was a moment of being so proud of our kid and also a big F-you to the entire Carolina fan base for being such classless a-holes,” she added. “If you are a UNC fan and didn’t like it… tough! Better luck next time! Go Duke.”
A Dominant Rivalry Run for Flagg
Flagg, widely regarded as one of the best college players in the country, is projected to be a top NBA draft pick if he declares after this season. If this game was his last in the Duke-UNC rivalry, he’ll leave with a perfect 2–0 record against the Tar Heels in regular-season play.
As for Kelly Flagg, this may be the last time she has to deal with hostile UNC fans, but she certainly made sure to have the final word before exiting the rivalry—on her own terms.