.jpg)
1 hour ago
3
The 2025–26 Dallas Mavericks season was underwhelming from the jump of the season. After trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, it led to endless chatter online and finished with a disappointing 26–56 record.
AD struggled with injuries before being traded to the Washington Wizards in February, signaling the franchise had entered serious rebuild mode again before the calendar even turned.
Out of that rubble, rookie Cooper Flagg was the brightest spot on the team. He ended the regular season averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 steals in 33.5 minutes across 70 games. And now he got his flowers.
On Wednesday, he was officially named the 2025–26 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year, edging Charlotte's Kon Knueppel, his former Duke roommate, in one of the closest ROTY votes in recent memory.
Flagg described the moment as surreal, telling reporters he had been watching Knueppel's box scores all year, calling him "his brother" and making clear their friendship was unchanged.
And then reactions poured in from every corner of the NBA.
Dirk Nowitzki, LeBron James, Jason Kidd among those who praised Flagg's historic individual season
The establishment voices were immediate and consistent in their appreciation. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd was the first one who congratulated his rookie star.
He wrote, “Thrilled to see @Cooper_Flagg recognized with the @NBA Rookie of the Year award. Your feel for and commitment to the game are truly special. Congratulations and enjoy this moment. This is just the beginning.”
Dirk Nowitzki, the franchise's all-time icon, tweeted, “Rookie of the year!!! Congrats.”
During a pregame show on NBA Prime, he said, "I watched Cooper all year long. The stuff he had to deal with early with all the negativity around and the booing. There was a lot happening that whole season... Started at PG at 6'9 something he's never done.... Historic numbers as a teenager. Well deserved Cooper, we're proud of you."
On The Dan Patrick Show, Hall of Famer Reggie Miller admitted to flipping his vote to Flagg, saying, “Two weeks ago, I had Kon. But after all what I saw down the stretch… I’m going with Cooper Flagg.”
At the American Airlines Center, Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II led a standing ovation for Flagg during the ceremony. The commercial buzz was also strong.
Topps reported that Flagg’s "ROTY NOW" card sold over 100,000 copies, including a rare 1-of-1 Chrome Superfractor for one lucky collector. It’s a massive showing for a 19-year-old rookie. Flagg is now the third Maverick to win the award, following Kidd in 1995 and Doncic in 2019.
Kon Knueppel supporters and analysts push back hard on ROTY voting process
The pushback was equally loud. Knueppel's supporters. Bill Simmons was one of the most vocal pre- and post-award. He repeatedly picked Knueppel and called it a "no-brainer" on his "The Bill Simmons Podcast."
Michelle Beadle criticized voters for seemingly wanting to crown Flagg from the start, saying, “Voters to have such a hankering to make Cooper Flagg ROTY.” She also referenced voters not wanting to be “proved wrong by Kon Knueppel.”
A handful of folks were even more vocal online, calling for voters to lose their ballots if they ranked Knueppel third in what most saw as a two-man race. These critics felt the media bought into Flagg’s "superstar" hype instead of looking objectively at both players' seasons. And this debate will likely follow both players into their second season.
English (US)