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Cooper Flagg wins NBA Rookie of the Year after Kon Knueppel’s Play-In Tournament struggles swayed voters

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Dallas Mavericks first overall pick Cooper Flagg was named the 2025-26 NBA Rookie of the Year, and it was a thrillingly close vote in the end.

Flagg narrowly beat out Charlotte Hornets’ sharpshooter Kon Knueppel, his fellow Duke Blue Devils star who went three picks later than Flagg in last year’s draft, earning 56 first-place votes compared to Knueppel’s 44. So, Flagg finished with 412 total vote points to Knueppel’s 386.

Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe finished in third place with 96 points (93 third-place votes), while San Antonio Spurs’ Dylan Harper and Memphis Grizzlies Cedric Coward also got third-place votes.

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Flagg marked the second-youngest player to ever win the award, as the 19-year-old was only behind Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James.

For most of the season, it appeared Knueppel was going to win the award, but multiple voters came out publicly and said Knueppel’s Play-In Tournament struggles factored into them changing their minds for Flagg.

MAVERICKS’ COOPER FLAGG ADMITS ROOKIE SEASON HAS BEEN ‘MENTALLY TAXING’ AMID THE TEAM’S STRUGGLES

Knueppel had just six points on 2-of-12 shooting in 34 minutes during the Hornets’ electric 127-126 overtime win over the Miami Heat at the start of the tournament. Then, in the 121-90 loss to the Orlando Magic, he shot 3 of 11 for 11 points (4 of 5 from the free-throw line as well), and he posted a minus-26 while on the court.

Flagg noted being keen on what Knueppel was doing during the year, showing love to his fellow rookie.

“I see the games every  night. I can check the box scores,” he said about watching Knueppel’s stat lines closely, per ESPN. “I think also I was watching Kon just because that’s one of my brothers.

“We had such a good connection, and we’re gonna be there for each other for the rest of our lives. I was watching him as a fan, as well, but there was obviously that competition at the same time.”

Flagg averaged 21 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game this year for the Mavericks. Those numbers had him among some NBA greats, as Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and Luka Doncic were the only rookiesMichael Jordan and Luka Doncic were the only rookies before Flagg to average at least 20 points, six rebounds and four assists since the NBA-ABA merger, ESPN pointed out. Flagg also led all rookies in scoring this season.

As for Knueppel, he dropped 18.5 points per game with 5.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists, but while Flagg had him beat in those categories, he reset the rookie 3-pointers made record with 273. That number also led the NBA this season. Knueppel was also a key piece in the Hornets getting into the Play-In Tournament to begin with, finishing 44-38 before being eliminated by the Magic.

Flagg and the Mavs didn’t fare too well this season, finishing 26-56, though he led the team in scoring, rebounding and assists this season. Despite the losses, Flagg continued to show that age didn’t matter, becoming the youngest player to ever have games with 35, 40, 45 and 50 points.

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Jasmine Crockett’s social media posts about WHCD shooting show different tones

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Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, posted on social media what appeared to be contradictory messages about the shooting over the weekend at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

In the shooting that unfolded at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C., gunman Cole Tomas Allen of California rushed through a security checkpoint with guns and knives. One Secret Service agent was shot in the chest but was saved by his bulletproof vest.

The Justice Department charged Allen with attempting to assassinate the president, transporting a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence.

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President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other administration officials were in attendance, as were members of Congress and the media. Trump and other attendees were rushed off the stage, and the suspect was taken into custody.

Crockett, who lost in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate this year, has made multiple posts about the shooting since it happened, with some condemning political violence and others questioning whether assassination attempts against Trump were staged.

On her official X and Threads accounts, she said, “The political violence is unacceptable and must stop.”

“I am grateful that everyone attending tonight’s WHCD is safe,” the congresswoman added.

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But on her Jasmine For US campaign Threads account, she posted, “Has there ever been a president have this many close ‘attempts’ on their life?”

“Maybe it’s lax gun laws, maybe it’s lack of mental health funding, or maybe it’s fake… who knows,” the post continued.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Crockett’s office for comment. A message was also left with the office of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., seeking comment.

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Trump began claiming that the incident showed the need for his proposed White House ballroom. Other administration officials and the president’s allies in Congress quickly began pushing for the ballroom as well.

But the dinner was hosted by the White House Correspondents’ Association and not the White House, and it had more than twice as many guests as the proposed ballroom could hold.

A judge had, on multiple occasions, halted construction of the $400 million White House ballroom, ruling that it lacked congressional approval, while offering an exception for “actions strictly necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House and its grounds.”

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Jimmy Kimmel remains defiant, insists ‘expectant widow’ jab against Trumps was about age difference

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ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel remained defiant Monday night, insisting his now-viral “expectant widow” joke about President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump was simply about their age. 

“This was Thursday, and there was no big reaction to it until this morning, when I greeted the day facing yet another Twitter vomit storm,” Kimmel said during his monologue. “I said, our First Lady, Melania, is here. Look at her. So beautiful. This is from the glow. Like an expected widow, which obviously was a joke about their age difference and the look of joy we see on her face every time they were together.”

“It was a very light roast joke about the fact that he’s almost 80, and she’s younger than I am. It was not, by any stretch of the definition, a call to assassination — and they know that,” he continued. “I’ve been very vocal for many years speaking out against gun violence in particular, but I understand that the First Lady had a stressful experience over the weekend, and probably every weekend is pretty stressful in that house.”

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This is a developing story.

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Watch – Dem Rep. Rosa DeLauro Blows Up at EPA Chief Lee Zeldin: ‘You Are Climate Deniers’

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Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) erupted in hostility toward Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin on Monday over climate change.

The post Watch – Dem Rep. Rosa DeLauro Blows Up at EPA Chief Lee Zeldin: ‘You Are Climate Deniers’ appeared first on Breitbart.

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