Mavericks' Cooper Flagg Addresses Relationship With Kon Knueppel
It was a tight Rookie of the Year race between Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg and Charlotte Hornets forward Kon Knueppel. Ultimately, the award was given to Flagg, who received 56 first-place votes. Knueppel, meanwhile, came up short and only had 44 votes.
Both former Duke players were favorites to win the award. Before the 2025-26 NBA season started, Flagg was already the heavy favorite to win the award. However, things changed when Knueppel showed his dominance and won the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for four consecutive months.
However, the honor was still awarded to the Mavericks forward, who became the second-youngest player to win.
Cooper Flagg Shared His Close Bond With Kon Knueppel
Although there's a friendly on-court rivalry between Flagg and Knueppel, the future Mavericks star said that there's nothing but love for the two of them. The two first-year NBA players did not let the difficult competition for Rookie of the Year stand in their way.
He addressed his dynamic and close bond with the Hornets star on Wednesday's press conference.
"Me and Kon, we talked all year long, but we never talked about the Rookie of the Year, what people were saying about that," Flagg said. "It's more just support for one another and staying in contact. He's somebody that will be one of my best friends the rest of my life."
"We talked all year long, but we never talked about the Rookie of the Year... he's somebody that will be one of my best friends the rest of my life."@Cooper_Flagg on his relationship with his college teammate and his close friend @Kon2Knueppel throughout their special rookie… pic.twitter.com/KRni82nJ7b
— NBA (@NBA) April 29, 2026
"Just staying in contact, seeing how things have been different for him and how he's learned. Just trying to help each other in our own single journeys apart from each other… We definitely stayed in contact and I've talked to him."
Both rookies had historic runs in their first season. Flagg joined former NBA star Michael Jordan as the only NBA rookies to lead their respective teams in points, rebounds, assists and steals. He also became the youngest player to reach the 50-point mark in a single season. The 6-foot-9 forward had 51 points against the Orlando Magic on April 3.
Knueppel, meanwhile, showed off being a threat from downtown. He recorded 273 3-pointers and became the first rookie to lead the NBA in made shots from deep. The former Duke star made history with his backcourt mate, LaMelo Ball. They became the first duo since Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors to record at least 270+ 3-pointers.
Flagg and Knueppel had a great start to their careers. Fans are excited about how their professional careers will pan out.
Related: Mavericks' Cooper Flagg Sends Message After ROTY Win
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This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 6:57 PM.