Maine’s Cooper Flagg Wins NBA Rookie of the Year

For Maine basketball fans, this one hits a little different.

Cooper Flagg, a Newport native, has been named NBA Rookie of the Year after edging out former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel of Charlotte in a tightly contested race announced Monday night, WABI reported.

While the rest of the country is just getting familiar with Flagg’s game, people here in Maine have been watching this coming for years. Now, it is official. One of the best young players in the NBA is from right here.

Flagg’s rookie season was nothing short of historic. According to WABI, he became the first first-year player since Michael Jordan in the 1984 to 1985 season to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. That level of production from a teenager helped him stand out, even as Dallas struggled at times this season.

Knueppel made the race interesting by helping lead the Hornets to a play-in spot, but Flagg’s all-around dominance ultimately gave him the edge.

WABI went on to explain that the two former Duke teammates also finished first and second in rookie scoring, something that has not happened between former college teammates since Emeka Okafor and Ben Gordon did it back in 2004 to 2005.

For Maine, this is more than just an award. It is a moment. A reminder that even from a small state, a player can rise all the way to the top of the basketball world. And if this is just the beginning for Flagg, there is a lot more to come.