DHJ Quick Take: Cooper Flagg Talks Rookie of the Year Honor
- The Validation of Work: During his press conference at American Airlines Center, Cooper Flagg emphasized that the Rookie of the Year trophy is a reflection of a lifelong commitment. By acknowledging the “hours put in” before his NBA career began, Flagg positioned himself not just as a phenom but as a professional with a strong work ethic.
- The Kidd/Dončić Lineage: Flagg joined Jason Kidd and Luka Dončić as the only Mavericks to win the award. The shared presence of Kidd at the podium—who called the season a “marathon”—underscored the organizational patience throughout a challenging season.
- The Paige Bueckers Bond: A standout moment of the presser was Flagg’s discussion of Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers. As the two Gatorade athletes navigated their No. 1 overall pick seasons in the same city, Flagg noted that having someone in a “very similar situation” helped him push through the “lows” of a 26-win campaign.
- Offseason Intent: Despite the individual accolade, Flagg’s presser was notably forward-looking. His intent to spend the summer adding to his “off the dribble” game signals that the Mavericks are already pivoting from celebrating the rookie year to building a “Year 2” reset.
DALLAS — Cooper Flagg met with reporters at American Airlines Center on Wednesday after being named the 2025-26 NBA Rookie of the Year, joining Jason Kidd (1994-95) and Luka Dončić (2018-19) as the only Dallas Mavericks ever to claim the honor.
Flagg’s first NBA season placed him alongside some of the most accomplished rookies in league history. The 6-foot-9, 220-pound forward averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.9 blocks across 33.5 minutes per game, starting all 70 of his appearances.
Only two other rookies in the past 45 years have hit those benchmarks over a full season: Michael Jordan and Dončić. Flagg also stood alone in the 2025 draft class as the only player to crack the top five in rookie averages for scoring (first), rebounding (fourth), assists (second), steals (second), and blocks (fifth). He led Dallas in total points (1,473), rebounds (466), assists (316), and steals (84). No other player in the league this season paced his own team across all four categories, and only Jordan had ever done it as a rookie. He also led all rookies in 25-point games (21), 30-point efforts (11), 35-point outings (6), 40-point performances (4), 45-point games (3), and 50-point outings (1).
Flagg’s 51-point performance against the Orlando Magic on April 3 made him, at 19 years and 103 days, the youngest player in NBA history to score 50 or more points in a single game. The outing broke a record Flagg had set himself with a 49-point game against the Charlotte Hornets on Jan. 29. Two nights later, he poured in 45 on the Los Angeles Lakers on April 5, joining Wilt Chamberlain as the only rookies in league history to combine for 96 or more points across any two-game stretch.
Flagg said the award reflected work that started long before his NBA career.
“I think it means everything. This award and this recognition is something all rookies come into the year fighting for and competing for,” Flagg said. “Just the recognition means a lot to me. All the hard work, all the hours I’ve put in throughout the year, and even before that, throughout my life, just to get this moment, it shows that it’s all worth it.”
He thanked his teammates and the Mavericks coaching staff for helping him through the jump from college to an 82-game NBA season. He was joined by his teammates Kyrie Irving, Khris Middleton, and Max Christie, as well as Dereck Lively II. Dallas also had head coach Jason Kidd, who posed for a picture with Flagg holding the trophy, in attendance, along with practically the whole basketball operations department.
“Obviously, thank you to my teammates, the ones that are here and the ones who aren’t. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without them,” Flagg said. “Coaches, Coach Kidd, the rest of the staff, just thank you to them. It’s an incredible recognition, and it means a ton.”
Finding Out on the Couch
The NBA revealed Flagg’s Rookie of the Year win on Monday during NBC’s pregame coverage of Game 4 between the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic, with the broadcast carried on Peacock and NBC Sports.
Flagg said he learned the news the same way the rest of the league did, watching the announcement on TV with his family.
“I found out at six o’clock on TV. I was sitting on my couch with my family and saw the announcement like everyone else,” Flagg said. “It was a cool moment. It’s one of the first times I’ve won an award like that and had to find out with everybody else. I was a little nervous, but it was special to share that with my family.”
Flagg later joined the NBA on NBC analyst desk for an on-air interview about the award.
Friendship With Kon Knueppel Came First
Flagg edged out Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel in a closely watched Rookie of the Year race. He said the two former Duke teammates never brought up the chase in their conversation.
“Me and Kon talked all year long, but we never talked about Rookie of the Year or what people were saying about any of that. It was more just support for one another and staying in contact,” Flagg said. “He’s somebody that’s going to be one of my best friends for the rest of my life. Just staying in contact, seeing how things have been different for him and what he’s learned, and trying to help each other in our own journeys.”
Flagg pulled in 56 of 100 first-place votes to Knueppel’s 44, finishing with 412 total points to the Hornets guard’s 386. The 26-point gap was the second-smallest margin in a Rookie of the Year race since the current voting format began in 2002-03, trailing only the 15-point spread between Scottie Barnes and Evan Mobley in 2021-22. Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe finished third with 96 points.
Knueppel, the No. 4 overall pick out of Duke, averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists across 81 games for the Hornets. He also set the NBA rookie record for 3-pointers made with 273, leading the entire league in that category.
Confidence Built Through the Lows
Flagg credited his family and teammates for helping him push through the rough patches of his first NBA season.
“There were moments throughout the year where I was at a low. There are always lows, losing games, struggling at times,” Flagg said. “But having my support system around me, my family, my teammates, lifting me up and helping me through that, it built my confidence. This award is another step in the right direction and gives me more confidence moving forward.”
He also pointed to a shift in how aggressively he played as the season went on.
“I think just being comfortable and confident was a big thing for me. Early in the season, I was hesitant at times and not as aggressive,” Flagg said. “As the year went on, I got more comfortable, trusted my instincts more, trusted myself more, and that led to a lot more success.”
Asked what advice he would give younger players chasing the same path, Flagg said the work pays off down the road.
“I would say it’s worth it. All the hours, all the sacrifices, being different from everybody else and choosing to do things other people aren’t doing, it’s worth it,” Flagg said. “At the time, those decisions feel harder, but looking back, they end up being the easy decisions. Just enjoy the grind and the progression. I’m thankful for it.”
On the Point Guard Experiment
Flagg spent much of the season as Dallas’ primary playmaker, an unusual workload for a rookie wing. He said he welcomed the on-ball role from the start.
“I’ve always prided myself on doing whatever it takes to win. So it was just another challenge,” Flagg said. “Coach Kidd has an incredible feel for the game, so I trusted him and trusted the work I’ve put in. I was never worried. It was just about overcoming the challenge.”
When asked whether any one moment defined his rookie season, Flagg pushed back on the premise.
“Not really. It was a long season, and going from college to an 82-game season is a big jump,” Flagg said. “There’s not one moment that defined it. It’s more a collection of different moments and learning experiences throughout the year.”
Jason Kidd: ‘This Is a Marathon’
Kidd, who won the same award in 1994-95 as a Co-Rookie of the Year with Grant Hill, told reporters Flagg’s season came down to patience and a willingness to ride out the slower stretches.
Flagg’s production climbed even higher coming out of the All-Star break. Flagg averaged 22.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.2 blocks over the season’s final stretch, becoming the only player in the league to put up at least 20-6-5-1-1 averages after the break.
“I’m happy that it worked out. I didn’t think it wasn’t going to work out,” Kidd said. “It takes patience going through the process and that journey. Sometimes it doesn’t happen on Day 1. This is a marathon, like we’ve talked about. College is a little different. We play a lot more minutes at this level.”
Kidd attributed Flagg’s daily approach to his ability to handle the workload.
“For him, he loved the challenge. He’s very coachable. He’s fun to be around,” Kidd said. “He cares, and he wants to win.”
He also said the playmaker label was not a perfect fit for what Flagg actually did, but the responsibility paid off as the year went on.
“Giving him the ball, I know we called it point guard, maybe we should’ve called it something a little different, but I thought it helped him as the season went on,” Kidd said. “He became a playmaker, a scorer, someone we trusted to get us into our offense.”
A Shared Path With Paige Bueckers
Flagg also touched on his connection with Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers, the 2025 WNBA No. 1 overall pick. The two were featured together in a Gatorade campaign, and Flagg said her support has meant a lot during his own first-year run.
“She’s in Dallas too, in a very similar situation as the No. 1 pick coming in and having a great first year,” Flagg said. “Having someone right there who went through something similar and reaching out like that, it means a lot.”
Bueckers congratulated Flagg through a Gatorade voice message released the day his award was announced. “Yo, what’s up Coop? Congrats on Rookie of the Year,” Bueckers said in the clip. “Not bad for our first rodeo, right? Now, let’s see who gets that ring for Dallas first.”
The Wings guard won the 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year in a near-unanimous vote, taking 70 of 72 first-place votes. The former UConn star averaged 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.6 steals across 36 starts while shooting 47.4% from the field. Her 44-point outing against the Los Angeles Sparks on Aug. 20 set a WNBA single-game rookie scoring record, and she became the first player in league history to score 40 or more points while shooting at least 80 percent from the field in a game.
He said it means a lot that he and Bueckers are at similar stages in Dallas.
“It says a lot about the future. Knowing the impact she’s had and being able to have an impact myself, it makes me really happy,” Flagg said. “I feel blessed because I don’t feel that far removed from being a kid looking up to players. So to now be in that position means a lot.”
Offseason Focus and Year 2
Flagg said the award won’t slow him down. He plans to spend his offseason adding to his offensive game, particularly off the dribble.
“I’m going to work on a lot of different things. There’s always room to improve,” Flagg said. “I think there’s a lot of growth I can make offensively, off the dribble, and making reads. I’m excited to get in the gym, especially with teammates, and keep building.”
He also addressed where the Mavericks go from here after a season that fell short of expectations.
“This year didn’t go exactly how we expected, but that’s in the past,” Flagg said. “It’s about moving forward, continuing to grow, and putting in the work this summer. We all believe in what we can do next year.”
Kidd closed with the same point he has been making about Flagg since draft night.
“So it worked out. It just took a little time,” Kidd said. “He’s special, and it’s only going to make him better as we go forward.”
More Cooper Flagg & Mavericks Coverage on Dallas Hoops Journal
- Cooper Flagg Wins NBA Rookie Of The Year, Joins Jason Kidd And Luka Dončić In Dallas Mavericks History
- ‘That’s What Paul Silas Did For Me’: LeBron James Draws Parallel Between His Rookie Role And Cooper Flagg’s
- ‘He Will Be Unstoppable’: Cooper Flagg’s Three-Point Statement Gives Blueprint For NBA Dominance
- ‘They’re Very Similar’: Jason Kidd Breaks Down The LeBron James Parallels For Cooper Flagg
