Cooper Flagg named Rookie of the Year in the NBA

Young star Cooper Flagg, the Dallas Mavericks forward, has been crowned the NBA Rookie of the Year for 2026, capping off an outstanding debut season that has quickly established him as one of the brightest emerging talents in basketball.

The 19-year-old earned the award after delivering impressive performance throughout the season, leading all rookies in scoring with an average of 21 points per game, along with 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 steals. Despite his individual brilliance, the Mavericks endured a difficult campaign, finishing with a 26-56 record and missing out on the playoffs.

Flagg’s achievement was not limited to statistics alone, as he etched his name into the record books by becoming the first rookie since the legendary Michael Jordan in 1985 to lead his team in four major statistical categories—points, rebounds, assists, and steals.

One of the standout moments of his season was a 51-point performance, making him the youngest player in NBA history to score 50 or more points in a single game, even though the Mavericks lost that matchup to the Orlando Magic. He also recorded four 40-point games, a feat not achieved by a rookie since Allen Iverson in 1997, surpassing even LeBron James’ previous record for most 40-point games by a teenager.

With this accolade, Flagg becomes the third player in Dallas Mavericks history to win Rookie of the Year, following Jason Kidd in 1995 and Slovenian star Luka Dončić in 2019. Dončić’s move to the Los Angeles Lakers last season opened the door for Dallas to secure the No.1 pick in the draft, which they used to select Flagg.

Fines for Smart and Kennard

In a separate development, the NBA announced financial penalties for Lakers players Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard following their criticism of officiating after their team’s loss to the Houston Rockets.

Smart was fined $35,000 for comments questioning the integrity of the referees, while Kennard received a $25,000 fine for using inappropriate language toward officials. These incidents came after the Lakers’ 115-96 defeat, which saw Houston reduce the series deficit to 3-1.

The Lakers now need just one more win to secure progression to the second round, with Game 5 set to be played on their home court. Meanwhile, the Rockets remain hopeful of a comeback, needing a victory to force a Game 6 in Houston and potentially a decisive Game 7 in Los Angeles if the series is levelled. 

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