NBA fans have been glued to this rookie race, and somehow it keeps getting wilder. Kon Knueppel and Cooper Flagg were supposed to push each other in college — now they’ve dragged that rivalry straight into the league, and the debate is basically a daily sport on its own.
Even with Charlotte falling 113-110 to Atlanta on Sunday, Knueppel walked out of that game gaining more traction than anyone expected. Prophet X’s latest numbers bumped him ahead of Flagg in the Rookie of the Year projections, which nobody would’ve guessed a month ago.
Flagg, the Mavericks’ No. 1 pick, is still holding 44% in the model. Knueppel sneaking up to 47% set off a wave of reactions online, as usual.
One fan dropped, “We are in a new era where pro-America White boys are taking over the NBA.”
We are in a new era where pro-America White boys are taking over the NBA. pic.twitter.com/W8RtjHN6NI
— Cryptid Politics (@CryptidPolitics) November 25, 2025
Another chimed in, “Bout time american whites start pulling their weight.”
Someone else added, “Neck and neck all season, I hope, but it looks like Kon is gonna pull away easily.”
Knueppel didn’t exactly quiet the noise either — he put up 28 points, six rebounds, and three assists against the Hawks. Solid night, tough result, and the Hornets slid to 4–13. Flagg, on the other hand, couldn’t really get going in Dallas’ 106-102 loss to Miami, finishing with 12, seven, and three.
“It’s not even close”: NBA fans back Kon Knueppel after historic stretch
Charlotte may be struggling, but Knueppel just hit a ridiculous personal milestone. He’s now the youngest player ever to average 20 points on 55/40/90 shooting splits across a 15-game stretch. For a rookie? That’s unheard of.
Across that run, he’s putting up 20.3 a night while shooting 59.0% from the field, 42.5% from three, and 92.1% at the line.
It didn’t take long for fans to react.
One said, “ROY so far and it’s not even close.”
ROY so far and it’s not even close
— NicoPalo (@NicoPalo_) November 24, 2025
Another followed with, “Better than his overhyped college teammate.”
A third tossed him a new nickname: “The Konqueror.”
Flagg, meanwhile, hasn’t quite found that same gear yet. Through his last 18 outings, he’s averaging 15.9 points, 6.4 boards, and 3.1 assists — decent for a rookie, but not the type of production that keeps you in the driver’s seat when the guy next to you is hitting historic marks.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
