Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel were roommates at Duke and now lead the Rookie of the Year Race, and the friends-turned-rivals relish any chance they can get to go head-to-head.
Last season, Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel headlined the best Duke Blue Devils team to never win a national title. Three of Duke's freshmen were picked in the top ten of the NBA draft, and Flagg and Knueppel are the frontrunners in the Rookie of the Year race.
On Thursday, the two Duke roommates clashed, with Knueppel and the Charlotte Hornets getting the last laugh over Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks. Charlotte won 123-121 in a thriller, with Knueppel scoring 34 points and Flagg dropping a career-high 49, although a costly turnover in the final five seconds resulted in Flagg fouling Knueppel at the rim, and then he hit the game-winning free throws for the Hornets.
After the game, Flagg was clearly frustrated with the loss, although he had nothing to praise for his friend.
Flagg, Knueppel Talk Rivalry and Friendship
Flagg may have had the best game of his young career, but Knueppel and the Hornets won the game, stretching their win streak to five in a row.
When LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller are healthy, the Hornets boast the most exciting young core in the NBA, and Knueppel is at the center of it.
"I know how special he is and how hard he works," said Flagg after the game. "So it's just funny, 10-plus years down the road, I think we'll both be looking back on this as a pretty special thing. I know we'll both be in this league for a long time. So it's pretty special. That's my brother for life. I got really high praise for him and what he can do."
Knueppel, meanwhile, was quick to shoot praise right back. Not only was Flagg the best player on the court in that game, but Knueppel thinks he's the best player he's faced all season.
"He's really good," said the Hornets' rookie. "He's the best player on the floor tonight. Probably, I mean, that's the best anyone's played against us all season. It's just fun competing against the best. And obviously, being close with them, that kind of adds to the competitiveness. So it was really fun."
While Flagg might be the better player, Knueppel secured a win with the game-tying steal and drawn foul.
"Both Kon and Flagg made some big plays for their teams, and by no surprise, our guy ends up making the biggest play of the game down the stretch and just continues to add an impact winning," boasted Charlotte head coach Charles Lee.