Dallas' Cooper Flagg wins NBA Rookie of the Year in historically close race
Charlotte's Kon Knueppel was a close second, with Philadelphia's VJ Edgecombe a solid third.
Entering the season, Cooper Flagg was projected to run away with Rookie of the Year. He was the No. 1 pick and on a team that entered the season expecting to be playing in postseason games right now.
"This season turned out a lot different than I expected... " Flagg said on NBA Showtime on Peacock on Monday. "Being thrown into the fire like that, I think, will help me in the long term.
" During his up-and-down season, it looked for long stretches like Flagg's college roommate at Duke ā Charlotte's Kon Knueppel ā would take the award. Voeters were clearly divided to the end, but a late slide by Knueppel and a monster final few weeks of the season by Flagg swung the vote back to him. Flagg was named NBA Rookie of the Year on Monday in the second-closest race since the league started tracking the voting (2003).
Mavericks star Cooper Flagg is the Kia Rookie of the Year award winner. pic. twitter.