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Cooper Flagg became the third Dallas Mavericks player to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award. Mavericks coach Jason Kidd was the first in 1995.<\/p>\n
Editor\u2019s Note: Read more NBA coverage from The Athletic\u00a0here<\/a>. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its teams.\u00a0<\/p>\n DALLAS \u2014 Cooper Flagg admitted he felt \u201cnervous\u201d while he was parked on his couch Monday evening waiting for the NBA Rookie of the Year award to be announced. Typically, Flagg said, he received forewarning when results of an award he was up for were made public.<\/p>\n But not this time.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was probably one of the first times I won an award and I had to find out with everyone else,\u201d Flagg said during a Wednesday news conference. \u201cThat was pretty cool.\u201d<\/p>\n Flagg on Monday became the third Dallas Mavericks player, joining now-Mavericks coach Jason Kidd (1995) and Luka Don\u010di\u0107 (2019), to be named Rookie of the Year. Flagg garnered 56 first-place votes and 412 total points. Kon Knueppel, Flagg\u2019s college teammate at Duke, received the other 44 first-place votes and 386 total points. The 26-point gap between them was the second-smallest difference since 2002-03, when the current voting format began.<\/p>\n Flagg and Knueppel, who in college led the Blue Devils to a 35-4 record and a Final Four appearance, were in regular communication throughout their rookie NBA seasons. Conversations regarding the league\u2019s top rookie accolade have always been low on their agendas.<\/p>\n \u201cMe and Kon, we talked all year long,\u201d Flagg said. \u201cWe never talked about the Rookie of the Year or what people were saying about it or anything like that. It was more just support for one another and staying in contact. He\u2019s someone who will be one of my best friends for the rest of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n Taken three spots apart in last year\u2019s NBA Draft, Flagg and Knueppel both had historic rookie seasons. Flagg, whom the Mavericks chose No. 1 in the draft, became the first rookie since Michael Jordan to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists and steals. Knueppel, the Charlotte Hornets\u2019 selection at No. 4, made 273 3-pointers \u2014 the most of any player in the NBA and tied for the 22nd-most in one season.<\/p>\n Knueppel helped the Hornets (44-38) finish with a winning record for just the second time in the past decade. Flagg\u2019s Mavericks (26-56) finished in 12th place in the Western Conference. The Mavericks entered the season with high hopes but had to adjust their expectations after star big man Anthony Davis dealt with calf and hand injuries and was traded to the Washington Wizards in February.<\/p>\n \u201cComing into this year, we all had different expectations in how we thought the year would go,\u201d Flagg said. \u201cBut all of that is in the past. I think it\u2019s time to move forward. Continue to grow, continue to get better and have a high outlook on how next year can go. We are just going to put in the work all summer long. I think we\u2019re all excited for it.\u201d<\/p>\n A group of roughly 100 employees from the Mavericks\u2019 basketball and business sides cheered Flagg on Wednesday before he accepted the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy. Teammates Kyrie Irving, Max Christie, Dereck Lively II, Brandon Williams and Caleb Martin were at the ceremony.<\/p>\n As was Kidd, who was named co-Rookie of the Year alongside Grant Hill more than three decades ago.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was a long time ago,\u201d Kidd said.<\/p>\n Kidd made the decision early in the season to effectively play Flagg at point guard. Flagg initially appeared uncomfortable but found his footing as the season progressed. He scored 40-plus points four times \u2014 something every other rookie this season combined to do once. He had a 51-point game on April 3 against the Orlando Magic to become the only teenager in NBA history to score 50 or more.<\/p>\n \u201cHe loves competition,\u201d Kidd said. \u201cHe loves both ends. He\u2019s not one about just offense. He\u2019s about playing the game of basketball. You have to play defense. Taking on the No. 1 defensive player every night \u2026 to be able to do what he did is remarkable.<\/p>\n \u201cWell-deserved award. I think it just sets the tone for his career.\u201d<\/p>\n Kidd and Flagg each sounded determined to win more games next season. Kidd didn\u2019t make the playoffs until his third year in the NBA. The Mavericks are hopeful Flagg will be on the playoff stage in his second season.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he was being honest when he said he never lost this much,\u201d Kidd said. \u201cFor him, all the great ones go through it. I believe he\u2019s going to be a great one. He carried a heavy load for us this year. He wasn\u2019t afraid of the challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n Christian Clark<\/a> is an NBA reporter for The Athletic who is based in Dallas. Previously, he covered the New Orleans Pelicans for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. Follow Christian on X @christianpclark<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Cooper Flagg became the third Dallas Mavericks player to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award. 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