
It was a tough-as-nose battle, but Cooper Flagg won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award on Monday. He eeked out his former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel. As a result, the Dallas Mavericks released a montage celebrating Flagg, narrated by Kyrie Irving.
“Greatness isn’t forged in the spotlight, it’s shaped in the quiet,” Irving said. “In the rhythm of showing up every day. They counted you out too early. They even questioned if you were built for it. But even with the weight of expectation, you never flinched—pressure, a place where doubt lives and most fold. But you, you found peace there. Ain’t no pressure.”
Cooper Flagg's Rookie of the Year video narrated by Mavs teammate Kyrie Irving
(via @dallasmavs)pic.twitter.com/cx6UZhxpMG
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 28, 2026
In the end, Flagg averaged 21.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while shooting 46.8% from the field. The Mavericks finished at 26-56 and missed the Playoffs.
He was selected as the No.1 pick in 2025. From there, he exceeded all expectations. Flagg became the first NBA rookie since Michael Jordan to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists (4.5), and steals (1.2). Also, he became the youngest player in NBA history to score 30 and 40 points in a game.
In April, Flagg became the youngest player and only teenager to score 50 or more points in a game, with 51 against the Orlando Magic. Flagg also became the youngest player to score 30 points in three consecutive games. He scored 40 points on four occasions, more than LeBron James with three and Anthony Edwards with two.
Flagg recorded a rookie record of 10 assists in a game in November, passing James. The other two Dallas players to win Rookie of the Year were Jason Kidd in 1995 and Luka Doncic in 2019.
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