The moms of the NBA draftees took centerstage, receiving hugs and wiping away tears from their sons.
NEW YORK — It was mother’s day at the NBA draft Wednesday night.
The moms of the NBA draftees took centerstage, receiving hugs and wiping away tears as they heard their offspring’s names called.
Kelly Flagg, whose son Cooper was the first pick by the Dallas Mavericks, was an accomplished player in her own right. She shone at the University of Maine in the late 1990s. The 1998-99 team she played on made school history by winning the program’s first NCAA Tournament game, defeating Stanford in an upset.
When asked about what she instilled in her son, Kelly Flagg remarked: “I just hoped that he loved the game as much as we always have, and we’re just thrilled that he did love it and he got to this moment. It’s incredible.”
As far as the last time they played one-on-one, mom said the outcome wasn’t a victory by her son.
“It’s not a loss. It was a timeout in a game. It’s just been an extended timeout,” she said.
Maria Harper received the first hug from Dylan Harper after his selection at No. 2 by San Antonio. This was fitting because she coached his first AAU team and served as an assistant on his high school team. She also played Division I basketball with New Orleans from 1993 to 1996.
“She means the world to me, coaching me from first grade to senior year,” Dylan Harper said. “For her to see this moment, probably means the world to her. I love my mom and everything I do is definitely for her.”
Maria Harper echoed Kelly Flagg’s sentiments.
“His flat-out love for the game, his determination, his humility and his hard work day in and day out,” she said.
VJ Edgecombe’s mom was wiping at tears when they talked to ESPN.
“Bimini to the world,” Bendra Rolle said after her son went No. 3 to Philadelphia and capped the family’s journey from the Bahamas to the NBA.
Thomas Sorbor’s mom had a much longer journey. Tenneh Sorbor held a Liberian flag when she and her son were talking on TV after he was drafted by Oklahoma City. The pair shared a long embrace when his name was called.
“It’s all for you Mama. It’s all for you Mama,” he said.
Tenneh Sorbor escaped the Liberian civil war in 1999 when she was 28.
“I’m a mom … I worked to get him where he is today,” she said.
