Kon Knueppel Calls Cooper Flagg 'Best Player' He's Faced in NBA After Historic Matchup

Charlotte Hornets wing Kon Knueppel heaped praise on fellow rookie Cooper Flagg on Thursday night following the Hornets' 123-121 win over the Mavs.

Knueppel, who was collegiate teammates with Flagg at Duke, told reporters, "He was the best player on the floor tonight. Probably, I mean, that's the best player that's played against us all season. It's just fun competing against the best, and obviously, being close with him, that kind of adds to the competitiveness. So, it was really fun."

Flagg led all scorers with 49 points on 20-of-29 shooting, while Knueppel was the Hornets' leading scorer with 34 points.

Per Yahoo's Ball Don't Lie, the 83 combined points between Flagg and Knueppel were the most by a pair of rookies in an NBA game since 1971 when Hall of Famers "Pistol" Pete Maravich and Nate "Tiny" Archibald combined for 91.

The Hornets and Mavericks went back and forth throughout Thursday's game, and it was fitting that both Knueppel and Flagg factored heavily into the finish.

Flagg nailed a three-pointer with just over 33 seconds remaining to tie the score at 121-121, but Knueppel gave the Hornets the lead with a pair of free throws with four seconds left.

While Flagg had a chance to win or tie the game, he missed a jumper at the buzzer, preserving a two-point win for Charlotte.

Flagg and Knueppel are clearly the two front-runners for the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, and they both showed why on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Flagg described what it is like to compete with his friend for a major award, saying, "It's incredible. I wouldn't want to be in any other position. We'll both be looking back on this night and this whole year in general for the rest of our lives, and we'll be talking about it and stuff like that. It's just so special to have this opportunity in general."

Flagg, who went first overall in the 2025 NBA draft after winning College Player of the Year honors, is averaging 19.5 points per game on 48.2 percent shooting to go along with 6.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.3 steals.

After getting selected fourth overall by the Hornets in the 2025 draft, Knueppel is averaging 18.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.4 three-pointers made per game, while shooting 48.6 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from beyond the arc.

Despite the excellent play of Flagg and Knueppel this season, it has not resulted in team success, as the Mavs are 19-29 and the Hornets are 21-28.

Flagg and Knueppel showed Thursday why the future could be bright for both teams, though, if they put the right pieces around their cornerstone players.