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Dale Earnhardt Jr. makes his pick for NBA Rookie of the Year
NASCAR Cup Series team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

NASCAR icon Dale Earnhardt Jr. makes his pick for NBA Rookie of the Year: 'He deserves it'

By Samuel Stubbs  |  Last updated Apr 8, 2026 12:28 AM ET

NASCAR Hall of Famer and North Carolina native Dale Earnhardt Jr. is paying attention to the NBA Rookie of the Year race. 

On Tuesday evening, Earnhardt Jr., a native of Kannapolis, North Carolina, posted on social media in support of Charlotte Hornets rookie guard Kon Knueppel in the NBA ROTY race, saying, "Yep. No question. He deserves it," in response to a post from the Hornets encouraging fans to vote for Knueppel. 

Can Kon Knueppel beat Cooper Flagg in NBA ROTY race?

Knueppel is averaging 18.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game for a Hornets squad that sits ninth in the Eastern Conference standings at 43-37. Charlotte has two regular-season games remaining and has locked up a berth in the play-in tournament. 

But Dallas Mavericks rookie forward Cooper Flagg has become one of the hottest players in basketball as of late. Flagg scored 51 points in Dallas' 138-127 loss to the Orlando Magic on April 3 before going for 45 points in a 134-128 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on April 5. 

Flagg is averaging 21.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game, though Knueppel held the advantage in the latest official NBA Rookie of the Year rankings on April 1.  

Unlike Knueppel's Hornets, however, Flagg's Mavericks (25-53) are not in a position to make the postseason. Dallas currently sits 12th in the Western Conference. 

As Knueppel and Flagg battle down the stretch for the Rookie of the Year award, Earnhardt Jr.'s endorsement certainly can't hurt the former, who like Earnhardt Jr., is becoming a beloved son of North Carolina. 

Samuel Stubbs
Twitter/X

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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