What happens when a born winner can’t stop losing? That is a reality that the 2026 Rookie of the Year favorite Cooper Flagg is facing right now. One of the most dominant stars in recent years, the teenage sensation has been tearing down the league with his agility and scoring prowess. While Flagg is doing fantastically individually, his team, the Dallas Mavericks, is simply the opposite, and Flagg has pointed out the mental toll of turning up every game despite knowing the eventual results in some games.
“It’s definitely tough, like there was times in the start of the year where it was taking a big toll on me not personally but mentally,” Flagg shared his struggles with defeats. “I don’t want to talk for anybody else, but like it’s definitely tough. Family is freaking out, like my mom, especially like she hadn’t seen me lose that much before, so she’s worried about me, and then it’s just like you’re trying to move on each night, but it’s tough.”
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Right now, the Mavs are in a complete free fall with an underwhelming 24-52 record and are nowhere near playoff contention. With so many losses day in and day out, the youngster shared the mental implications of losing over 50 games in a season in The Old Man And Three podcast.
Flagg has been extremely isolated this season as Anthony Davis played just 20 games before suffering a hand injury and was eventually traded to the Washington Wizards. Similarly, Kyrie Irving tore his ACL last season and has not played this season.
The Mavs want Irving to be the mentor to Flagg when he returns to action for next season. So technically, Flagg has been thrown into a fire in his rookie season, and he has emerged as the leader for the franchise. Every defeat has made him slightly more mature in dealing with all the hardships.
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The young forward was one of the most talented college stars last season with Duke, where they lost only four games. So neither he nor his family members are used to seeing his team lose so many games in a single season. However, Flagg believes that this phase will also help him grow as an individual.
“You got to learn how to lose. I think and learn how to take positives away and know that you might have another one tomorrow or you get one day. I think that was a big learning curve for me was just learning how to lose and how to bounce back a little bit quicker and kind of get over it quicker than previous. It’s just definitely a different feeling and you got to learn how to lose. For sure,” he added.
The teenage sensation is in a two-man battle with his former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel for the Rookie of the Year award this season. The Charlotte Hornets guard has also been exceptional and is giving Flagg a tough fight for the crown. In this to-and-fro battle, often the personal relationship between players turns sour. However, Flagg has assured the fraternity that his friendship with Knueppel goes beyond the awards.
Cooper Flagg opens up on his relationship with former teammate Kon Knueppel amid ROTY battle
Cooper Flagg, in his sole year in college, shared the best on-court chemistry with Duke’s starting point guard Kon Knueppel. Both youngsters came to the NBA. Flagg was the first overall pick selected by the Dallas Mavericks, whereas Knueppel was the fourth overall pick selected by the Charlotte Hornets.
Both players have had sensational rookie seasons, and that’s why they are in contention to win the Rookie of the Year award. Both players have broken several rookie records for their respective franchises. During his recent appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, Flagg assured that the race for the Rookie of the Year award has not strained their relationship.
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“We don’t talk about [Rookie of the Year] specifically,” Flagg said. “We’ve definitely stayed in contact throughout the year and checked in on each other and kind of seen how each other are doing. It’s never been like ‘Oh, did you see the newest rookie ladder?’ or ‘Have you seen my game last night?’ or anything like that. It’s more just been love and support of each other. We’re just going to let whatever happens with that happen.”
The love is actually from both sides as Knueppel also shared the same sentiment towards Flagg in a recent interview with Sports Illustrated. “It’s really cool,” Knueppel said. “I want to see [Flagg] do great things and obviously it would mean a ton to get that award. It’s always fun to get awards because you put a lot of time and effort in so that’d be a great honor. But it would also be cool to see Cooper get it, he works just as hard.”
With the final few games left in the regular season, it all comes down to April as the award will be decided at the end of this month. While most of the remaining games are inconsequential for the Mavericks, Flagg will still have to remain upbeat and keep dropping dominating performances. On the other hand, Knueppel has become a crucial figure in this Hornets roster as they fight for a spot in the playoffs. They are eighth in the Eastern Conference and have already clinched a spot in the Play-In tournament. Overall, it is turning out to be one of the most thrilling battles between two rookie stars, highlighting that the NBA’s future is in great hands.
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