In the final stretch of the 2025-26 NBA season, the Cooper Flagg vs. Kon Knueppel debate picked up steam as fans were split on the latest Rookie of the Year. When the dust settled and all the votes were tallied, it was Flagg bagging the ROTY award over his former college teammate Knueppel.
Both Duke standouts had a strong case to win the award, and this tight race was reflected in the votes. As per the tally released by the NBA, Flagg got 412 total points while Knueppel was not far behind with 386 total points. The Dallas Mavericks star’s 26-point lead happens to be the second-smallest margin under the current voting format, which was first implemented in the 2002-03 season.
The breakdown shows that Cooper Flagg received 56 first-place votes and 44-first place votes. Meanwhile, Kon Knueppel had 44 first-place votes, 55 second-place votes, and a single third-place vote.
Other rookies who received ROTY votes were VJ Edgecombe (96 total points), Dylan Harper (five total points), and Cedric Coward (one point).
The only ROTY race that was more tightly contested than Flagg vs. Knueppel was the one that unfolded in 2022. That year, Scottie Barnes edged out Evan Mobley by just 15 total points.
Cooper Flagg Admits to Checking Box Scores of Kon Knueppel’s Games: “That’s One of My Brothers”
After finding out that he was named this season’s Rookie of the Year, Cooper Flagg joined the “NBA on NBC” panel to share his thoughts on the award.
At one point, the panel asked him if he was keeping tabs on Kon Knueppel’s stats throughout the season.
“For sure. I see the game every night and check the box score…I was also watching Kon because that’s one of my brothers. We’ll be there for each other for the rest of our lives.”
Flagg now becomes the second-youngest player to win Rookie of the Year, behind only LeBron James.
