Cooper Flagg Speaks on Winning NBA Rookie of the Year, Kon Knueppel Support
The NBA Rookie of the Year race came down to two individuals this past season, with the Charlotte Hornets’ Kon Knueppel seeming to be the favorite ahead of Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg until the final part of the season.
On Tuesday, the NBA officially announced Flagg as this year’s award recipient and a day later presented him with his hardware at a special Dallas Mavericks press conference. That event featured his head coach, former co-Rookie of the Year Jason Kidd, and teammates, including Kyrie Irving, who previously won the NBA ROY.
Flagg said winning the award meant a lot to him and was a testament to all the hours of work he’s put in over the past year and throughout his life in basketball. He also thanked his teammates, including those who couldn’t attend the event, coach Kidd, and the Mavericks’ staff.
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The Dallas Mavs rookie didn’t indicate there was any competition between him and Knueppel for the award, but rather a mutual support between friends throughout the season and offseason.
“Me and Kon, we talked all year long, but we never talked about the Rookie of the Year or what people were saying about any of that. It was more just support for one another and staying in contact. He’s somebody that will be one of my best friends for the rest of my life,” Flagg told reporters.
“Just staying in contact. Seeing what’s different for him and what he’s learned and just trying to help each other in our own single journeys apart,” he said. “Just learning as much as we can about this league and how we can be better, but yeah, we definitely stayed in contact.”
Flagg and Knueppel spent a season together as college teammates with Duke University before heading to the NBA in last year’s draft. The Mavericks made Flagg their No. 1 pick, while Knueppel went fourth overall to the Charlotte Hornets.
In his rookie season, Flagg averaged 21 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game with a 46.8 percent field goal percentage. Knueppel had 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game, a 42.5 percent three-point percentage, and led the NBA in three-pointers for a Hornets team that reached the play-in tournament.
And many believe that the additional play-in games may have hurt Knueppel’s value in the voting. The Hornets’ rookie had a dreadful performance in his two additional games, including a 2-for-12 outing in his team’s win against the Heat and a 3-for-10 night against the Orlando Magic.
In the final NBA ROY voting, Flagg received 45 first-place votes and 44 second-place votes for 412 points, compared to Knueppel’s 44 first-place votes and 55 second-place votes. Regardless of the votes or awards, most people still expect Knueppel to be a star in the league for years to come, based on his debut season.
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This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 7:03 PM.