Mavericks' Top Pick Cooper Flagg Beats Former Teammate Knueppel to Win NBA Rookie of the Year
Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg was awarded the NBA Rookie of the Year today, defeating his former Duke University teammate Kon Knueppel in the second-closest Rookie of the Year race in recent years. Flagg's exceptional season, marked by historical scoring and all-around performance, fulfilled high expectations.
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- 📰 Published: April 28, 2026 at 11:55
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Central News Agency
(Central News Agency New York 27th comprehensive foreign report) Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg was awarded the NBA Rookie of the Year today, defeating his former Duke University teammate Kon Knueppel in the second-closest Rookie of the Year race in recent years.
According to comprehensive reports from Reuters and Agence France-Presse, based on the final voting results from a global panel of 100 media judges, 19-year-old Cooper Flagg received 56 first-place votes and a total of 412 points. Kon Knueppel, now with the Charlotte Hornets, received 44 first-place votes and a total of 386 points.
Philadelphia 76ers guard V.J. Edgecombe ranked third with 96 points, receiving no first-place votes but one second-place vote.
As the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Flagg completely lived up to high expectations. This season, he averaged 21 points per game, the most among all eligible rookies, ranked second with 4.5 assists per game, and third with 6.7 rebounds per game.
Flagg also became only the fourth player since the NBA and ABA merger to average at least 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists in his rookie season. Previous players to achieve this record include 'Bird' Larry Bird (1979-80), 'Basketball God' Michael Jordan (1984-85), and Luka Dončić (2018-19).
Earlier this month, Flagg erupted for 51 points against the Orlando Magic. Although the team lost, he became the youngest player in NBA history to achieve a 50-point single-game performance.
This season, he also had four other games scoring over 40 points, setting a rookie season record for the most 40-point games since Allen Iverson in the 1996-97 season, and breaking LeBron James' record for the most 40-point games by a teenage player in a single season.
As of April 12, Flagg was only 19 years and 112 days old, making him the second-youngest recipient in history, just 6 days older than LeBron James when he won the award in 2003-04.
Flagg is the third player in Mavericks franchise history to win the 'Rookie of the Year' award, following Jason Kidd in 1995 and Luka Dončić in 2019. The Mavericks fell into the draft lottery zone last season after trading Dončić, eventually winning the top pick and drafting Flagg. (Compiler: Cai Jiamin) 1150428
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(Central News Agency New York 27th comprehensive foreign report) Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg was awarded the NBA Rookie of the Year today, defeating his former Duke University teammate Kon Knueppel in the second-closest Rookie of the Year race in recent years.
According to comprehensive reports from Reuters and Agence France-Presse, based on the final voting results from a global panel of 100 media judges, 19-year-old Cooper Flagg received 56 first-place votes and a total of 412 points. Kon Knueppel, now with the Charlotte Hornets, received 44 first-place votes and a total of 386 points.
Philadelphia 76ers guard V.J. Edgecombe ranked third with 96 points, receiving no first-place votes but one second-place vote.
As the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Flagg completely lived up to high expectations. This season, he averaged 21 points per game, the most among all eligible rookies, ranked second with 4.5 assists per game, and third with 6.7 rebounds per game.
Flagg also became only the fourth player since the NBA and ABA merger to average at least 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists in his rookie season. Previous players to achieve this record include 'Bird' Larry Bird (1979-80), 'Basketball God' Michael Jordan (1984-85), and Luka Dončić (2018-19).
Earlier this month, Flagg erupted for 51 points against the Orlando Magic. Although the team lost, he became the youngest player in NBA history to achieve a 50-point single-game performance.
This season, he also had four other games scoring over 40 points, setting a rookie season record for the most 40-point games since Allen Iverson in the 1996-97 season, and breaking LeBron James' record for the most 40-point games by a teenage player in a single season.
As of April 12, Flagg was only 19 years and 112 days old, making him the second-youngest recipient in history, just 6 days older than LeBron James when he won the award in 2003-04.
Flagg is the third player in Mavericks franchise history to win the 'Rookie of the Year' award, following Jason Kidd in 1995 and Luka Dončić in 2019. The Mavericks fell into the draft lottery zone last season after trading Dončić, eventually winning the top pick and drafting Flagg. (Compiler: Cai Jiamin) 1150428
Stand with the facts, every sponsorship from you is the power to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency 'First-hand News' APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and utilized without authorization.