Cooper Flagg wins NBA Rookie of the Year, already focused on winning bigger next season
Cooper Flagg sat on the couch Wednesday surrounded by family and friends, waiting to see whether he had accomplished the biggest goal of his rookie season. As the clock crept toward 6 p. m.
CT, Flagg admitted the nerves started to kick in. Then Grant Hill delivered the news that officially stamped Flagg into Mavericks history: NBA Rookie of the Year. “It was probably one of the first times I won an award and I had to find out with everyone else,” Flagg said during Wednesday’s news conference.
“That was pretty cool. ” Flagg became the third Mavericks player to win the award, joining Luka Dončić and Mavericks coach Jason Kidd , who shared co-Rookie of the Year honors with Hill in 1995. “It’s surreal in a sense; that was a long time ago,” Kidd said when asked whether the moment brought back memories from his own award-winning season.
“But to be around someone who’s so talented and is just an incredible person to win Rookie of the Year is special. “It means a lot to the fans. It means a lot to his teammates and coaches and the organization.
But again, the fans, because it shows the future is very bright. ” Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg edges Hornets’ Kon Knueppel for NBA’s 2026 Rookie of the Year For much of the spring, the award appeared headed toward Flagg’s former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel, who received 80 of 100 first-place votes in ESPN’s final straw poll in April — a poll that has historically foreshadowed award winners. Then Flagg went full video-game mode.