Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel have the makings of a great NBA rivalry, but Flagg downplayed any animosity between the two former Duke Blue Devils.
Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks haven't gotten anywhere close to that level yet, but fans can hope that one day they will be the top rivals of Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.
For now, at least, Flagg and his team should set their sights a little lower. His former Duke Blue Devils teammate, Kon Knueppel, seems to be an ideal target.
Flagg and Knueppel are neck and neck in the Rookie of the Year race. While Flagg is the better player on both ends of the floor, Knueppel is a more efficient scorer and has impacted winning for the Charlotte Hornets. The two will finish first and second for the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy, although Flagg isn't too concerned about their relationship turning sour.
Cooper Flagg Speaks on Narrow ROTY Race
Don't get Flagg wrong, he wants to win the award, and he knows that the Mavericks have made him bringing home the hardware a priority in an otherwise lost season.
"I felt the support the whole year, and I think they've put me in incredible positions to just succeed out there, and I felt all that love and support, and I think that's what it comes down to, is just me going out there and being myself," said Flagg of his ROTY chances.
"As long as I go out there and be myself, I can kind of drown the pressure out. Whatever other people are saying, and all the rest of it will work itself out if I just go out there and play to my capabilities."
But, at the end of the day, he'll be happy no matter who wins it.
"I've definitely kept in touch with him throughout the whole year," Flagg added of Knueppel, dispelling any notion that a rivalry might be brewing.
"That's one of my brothers, he'll be one of my best friends for the rest of my life. We've definitely stayed connected and just shared thoughts on different things that we've seen in our own individual games and tried to help each other out as much as possible, just because that brotherhood and that relationship are never going to die."
Picked first and fourth out of Duke in the 2025 NBA Draft, the two wings have quickly established themselves as the best players in the draft class, and with the Hornets and Mavericks on similar trajectories, the two teams should both be primed to compete as their young stars improve.