Mavs' Cooper Flagg Reacts to Winning NBA Rookie of the Year Award, Talks Knueppel and Bueckers

Competing for the NBA's Rookie of the Year award is surreal enough, but Dallas Mavericks star Cooper Flagg did so by battling one of his closest friends for the coveted trophy throughout their first year in the league.

While Flagg ultimately won the 2025-26 Rookie of the Year over Charlotte Hornets sharpshooter Kon Knueppel, the former Duke teammates were nothing but supportive of each other.

"Me and Kon, we talked all year long," Flagg told reporters Wednesday during his Rookie of the Year press conference. "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 who will be one of my best friends for the rest of my life. Just staying in contact, seeing how things have been different for him and what he's learned and just trying to help each other in our own single journey apart from each other. Just learning everything we can about this league and how we can be better."

They were the only two players to receive first-place votes for the award with Flagg drawing 56 to Knueppel's 44. While Knueppel's Hornets finished with a better record and made the Eastern Conference play-in tournament, the numbers the No. 1 pick from the 2025 draft put up ended up being too much to ignore for most of the voters.

He averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 46.8 percent from the field. He did so as the main focal point of opposing defenses with Kyrie Irving sidelined by injury throughout the campaign and Anthony Davis traded to the Washington Wizards before the February deadline.

The end result was the Rookie of the Year as he started the process of living up to the expectations he will be the franchise cornerstone in Dallas for years to come.

"It means everything," Flagg said of the award. "This award and this recognition is something all rookies come into the year fighting for and competing for. … I think just the recognition means a lot to me. All the hard work, all the hours I put in throughout the year and throughout the years previous and throughout my life to get to this moment."

Flagg wasn't the only No. 1 draft pick in 2025 to arrive in Dallas.

The WNBA's Dallas Wings also selected Paige Bueckers with the first pick last year, and the Mavericks star opened up about the support she showed throughout their rookie campaigns.

"Obviously, she's in Dallas as well and in a very similar situation," he said. "She was the No. 1 pick, she came in and had an incredible first year. Just having that support and knowing there's somebody right there, right down the street, who went through a very similar thing. Just having her reach out and having that support is huge."

Cooper Flagg Throws It Down

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If everything goes according to plan in Dallas, the two Rookie of the Year award winners will lead their respective franchises into playoff contention for the foreseeable future.

That will surely be the goal for Flagg in his second season after he became the youngest player in NBA history with a 50-point game and joined Michael Jordan as the only rookies to lead their teams in points, rebounds, assists and steals for a single season since the 1973-74 campaign.

For now, though, he can celebrate being the Rookie of the Year.