It seems like Kelly Bowman Flagg has done a complete 180 over the last couple of years. When Cooper Flagg was in high school, staring his opponents down after vicious posters, she didn’t necessarily agree with him. “Mom’s thoughts-I don’t love the stare down. Let your game do the talking. I know they all do it, but I don’t like it. I appreciate that the kid at least made the attempt to stop it.” She posted on X, disapproving of the gesture. However, times have changed!
Near the end of a thumping victory against UNC, Kelly was seen celebrating her son’s monstrous jam with less than two minutes to go. “On his f–king head!” The mom could be heard saying while tapping the crown of her head. Obviously, Tar Heels fans weren’t happy. After getting tons of backlash, she issued an ‘apology’ on social media, but analysts and alumni still had a lot to say.
On the podcast To The Baha, North Carolina alum Theo Pinson addressed the controversial situation regarding Flagg’s mom. He wasn’t taking the controversy too seriously, however. “It’s on Facebook, that’s wild. Real old head sh-t.” Pinson said, laughing about where she posted her apology. He had a promise to make if such a situation happened to him, though. “If my mama post something on Facebook? Alright Ma, I’m deleting your account like yesterday.”
However, there were some points that he wanted to make. “A situation like this is, you just don’t gotta say anything. This comes with it. This is the biggest rivalry in sports.” He said, talking about how UNC fans wouldn’t be coming into the game respecting or liking Cooper Flagg. “I’m pretty sure they walked in and they said f–k Cooper! And you might not like that. That’s your soon, that’s cool.”
Kelly’s celebration, and the Facebook post that followed, made sense from a mother’s perspective. The Tobacco Road rivalry isn’t something to take lightly, and UNC fans aren’t friendly. However, North Carolina legend and ex-NBA player Raymond Felton had his own two words to add to the situation.
“You can’t protect him,”: Raymond Felton warns Cooper Flagg’s mom
After Kelly Flagg drew attention to the abuses that UNC fans were directing towards Cooper and her, Raymond Felton had something to point out. Apparently, the grass isn’t greener over at Duke, either!
Felton pointed out that Blue Devils fans have some of the worst behavior in college basketball. “I’ve played in Cameron Stadium, I’ve heard some nasty words. I’ve heard some racial slurs, let’s be real. Your son’s gonna get that.” The Chapel Hill legend stated. He doubled down, saying that Flagg would get abused, he’d get taunted, and he’d get some hate. “You can’t protect him.”
Jan 25, 2025; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Cooper Flagg (2) handles the ball against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during the second half at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
And to be fair to him, that’s true. We’ve seen this all the time. Good players get targeted by fans, and there’s no way out. “This is the world he’s in. He’s a high-level basketball player that everybody is looking at, all the time. For you to just come out at Carolina fans like that, it ain’t gonna end well for you, ma’am.” Raymond Felton concluded, criticising the approach that Kelly Flagg took.
Nevertheless, it was an exciting competition between UNC and Duke. While Cooper Flagg’s mom might have taken it a step too far with her celebration, we understand where she’s coming from. It is always difficult to see your loved ones take blows, and it’s even harder to figure out how to respond.
The post “Real Old Head Sh*t”: Cooper Flagg’s Mom Called Out as Her Controversial Move Triggers UNC Alum’s Bold Pledge appeared first on EssentiallySports.