Cooper Flagg Praised by Dirk Nowitzki for NBA Rookie of the Year Award Win with 'Historic Numbers'

NBA legend and Prime Video analyst Dirk Nowitzki was impressed with Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg's Rookie of the Year victory.

"I watched Cooper all year long," Nowitzki said on Wednesday's pregame show. "The stuff he had to deal with early with all the negativity around and the booing. There was a lot happening in that whole season but the way he kept his head down, worked, got better. Started at point guard at 6'9, something he's never done. To me, he's had an incredible year."

"Historic numbers as a teenager, that's the crazy thing is he's only 19," he added. "Well deserved Cooper, we're proud of you."

It was high praise from Nowitzki, who spent all 21 years of his Hall of Fame career with the Mavericks and led them to a championship in 2011.

As for Flagg, he was officially named Rookie of the Year on Monday night.

The No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft met the high expectations that were placed upon him ahead of his inaugural season, averaging 21.0 points and 6.7 rebounds to go along with 4.5 assists per game.

Flagg shot 46.8 percent from the field and 29.5 percent from three-point territory, but it's worth noting that he connected on 82.7 percent of his free throws.

He particularly thrived down the stretch of the 2025-26 season, recording 25.6 points and 6.9 rebounds per game on 45.1/33.3/90.5 shooting splits over his final 10 games.

While the Mavericks ultimately missed the playoffs with a 26-56 record, their future is still bright with Flagg in the mix.