"Needs the nepotism contract like bronny and thanasis": NBA fans pity Cooper Flagg's twin brother Ace Flagg for not matching up to Mavs star 

Cooper Flagg turned 19 on Sunday, Dec. 21, but the spotlight didn’t stay on the Dallas Mavericks youngster for long. Instead of flooding the rookie with birthday wishes, social media users shifted their attention to his brother, Ace Flagg.

X parody account, @HaterReport_, shared a side-by-side photo of the brothers, comparing a childhood image with a more recent shot from a basketball camp they hosted together. The post poked fun at Ace, with the caption:

“Cooper Flagg took EVERYTHING 😭”

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Fans jumped in, piling on with jokes and playful jabs aimed at Ace for not living up to his twin’s rising stardom.

“He needs the nepotism contract like bronny and thanasis,” @fanalyst_the wrote. “They’re twins?! Damn I feel bad for Ace 😭,” @jbondwagon said. “Buddy got the regenerative hairline & no vertical out of the family gene pool 😭😭,” @ashebabes said. “How does your 18 year old twin look 35,” @gametime__jay said. “Bro was in the womb boxing out,” @SteveBlakefan wrote. “bro took the hairline and talent im crine 😭😭,” @TheKnowerOfBaII said.

Unlike Cooper Flagg, Ace is not in the NBA. However, he does plays college basketball as a forward for the Maine Black Bears in NCAA Division I.

The season has been a tough one so far, with Maine sitting last in the America East at 1-13. Ace has played a limited role, averaging 4.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.

Cooper Flagg had a historic start to his NBA career before turning 19

Cooper Flagg, the youngest player in the 2025 draft class, couldn’t have asked for a better start to his career. He spent nearly two months playing at just 18 years old, dominating during that stretch. Flagg averaged 18.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, playing like the Mavericks’ first choice on most nights.

That impressive stretch earned him a spot in the history books more than once. He became the youngest player ever to score 40 or more points in a game and the youngest to hand out 10+ assists. He also finished with the third most total points by an 18-year-old, scoring 526, and tied the Mavericks’ rookie record for points in a single game with 42.

Edited by Advait Jajodia