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Cooper Flagg breaks silence on winning Rookie of the Year
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- Cooper Flagg breaks silence on winning Rookie of the Year
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Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg was announced NBA Rookie of the Year for the 2025-26 regular season. It’s an incredibly deserved award for a player who led his team in virtually every statistical category while being asked to play a position he’s never really played coming into the year.
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In his first season in the NBA, Flagg averaged was 21 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 steals while shooting 46.8 percent from the field and 29.5 percent from three, all while appearing in 70 games for the Mavericks.
The Mavs rookie was in a tightly contested race for the award with Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel , who finished the season averaging 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists while shooting 47.5 percent from the field and a blistering 42.5 percent from three. He made 273 three-pointers, the most ever by a rookie.
Cooper Flagg was honored by the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday evening, receiving his Rookie of the Year award and holding a press conference in Dallas shortly after.
Yeah, I mean, I think it means everything,” Flagg said of winning the Rookie of the Year award. “I think this award and this recognition is something that all rookies come into the year fighting for, competing for, and they’re trying to put their best foot forward for this award. So I think just the recognition means a lot to me. All the hard work, all the hours I’ve put in throughout the year, throughout the years previous, all the hours I’ve put in my whole life, just to get this moment, it shows that it’s all worth it. I mean, obviously thank you to my teammates, obviously the ones that are here, but all the rest of them as well that aren’t here, I wouldn’t have been able to do it without them. Coaches, Coach [Jason] Kidd, the rest of the staff, I think it’s a thank you to them, but it’s an incredible recognition and it means a ton to me.”
The Mavs’ Rookie of the Year was joined by teammates like Kyrie Irving , Max Christie , Caleb Martin , Dereck Lively II , Brandon Williams, and head coach Jason Kidd.
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This season, Cooper Flagg joined Michael Jordan as the only rookies in NBA history to lead their team in total points, rebounds, assists and steals since steals were first recorded in 1973-74. Flagg also became the second-youngest NBA Rookie of the Year winner behind LeBron James .
Related: Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg makes Kon Knueppel admission after ROY win
