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[Saba Sports News] Duke star Cooper Flagg’s mother, Kelly Flagg, had a fiery response to North Carolina fans on Saturday night—and now she’s offering a half-apology.
Flagg led Duke with 15 points and 9 rebounds in an 82-69 win over UNC in Chapel Hill. With just over a minute remaining, he punctuated the victory with a thunderous two-handed slam. The ESPN broadcast then caught Kelly and her husband, Ralph, celebrating in the crowd. Kelly took it a step further, looking around at Tar Heels fans and shouting, “on his f–ing head!”
On Sunday, Kelly addressed the incident on social media, apologizing to those who were offended by her choice of words—but making it clear she doesn’t regret the moment. She explained that her reaction stemmed from the way UNC fans had treated her family, calling it “a big F-you to the entire Carolina fan base.”
“I appreciate all of you who have supported us all season long, especially last night after my call for bail money,” Kelly wrote. “There were many willing to start a GoFundMe and several others ready to ride at dawn! I also want to apologize to anyone who was offended by my language that was caught in a celebratory moment.
“I do realize that it wasn’t my best look. However, if you actually know me and are a real friend of mine, you weren’t shocked. It was a very intense situation, and we were taken aback by the crudeness of the UNC fans as we made our way into the arena. 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. 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 classless a-holes! If you are a UNC fan and didn’t like it… tough (poop emoji)! Better luck next time! Go Duke!”
Duke vs. UNC is one of the most heated rivalries in sports, and Flagg’s parents—both former college basketball players—are just as competitive as their son. Kelly Flagg might not have been surprised by the treatment from Tar Heels fans, but she certainly had no problem dishing it right back.