Cooper Flagg named NBA Rookie of the Year, beating out Kon Knueppel

Cooper Flagg, a forward for the Dallas Mavericks, was voted NBA Rookie of the Year for the 2025-26 season. He finished ahead of Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets in a close race, earning 56 first-place votes and totaling 412 points. Flagg was the first overall selection by the Mavericks in the 2025 NBA Draft and averaged 21 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game in 70 games played. He became the second-youngest winner of the award at 19 years, 112 days old as of April 12. Flagg led his team in total points, rebounds, assists, and steals, joining Michael Jordan as the only rookies to achieve this feat since steals were first recorded in 1973-74. Flagg scored a career-high 51 points on April 3 against the Orlando Magic, becoming the youngest player in the league's history to score 50+ in a game at 19 years, 103 days old.