Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks has taken home the NBA Rookie of the Year award, edging out his former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel. Despite the Mavericks' lackluster season, Flagg's impressive performance, which included setting multiple records for an NBA teenager, was enough to secure the top honor. He became the first rookie to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, and steals since Michael Jordan in the 1984-85 season.
Flagg and Knueppel made history as the first former college teammates to finish first and second in rookie scoring since Emeka Okafor and Ben Gordon in 2004-05. Flagg expressed his admiration for Knueppel, stating that he kept a close eye on his former teammate's progress throughout the season, both as a competitor and as a friend. The NBA Rookie of the Year award was the sixth to be announced since the end of the regular season. In other NBA news, the Oklahoma City Thunder completed a four-game sweep against the Phoenix Suns, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren leading the team to a 131-122 victory.
The Thunder will face the winner of the Los Angeles Lakers-Houston Rockets series in the Western Conference semi-finals.