Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg is having a hell of a debut season in the NBA. He recently became the first teenager to cross the 50-point mark in the league, dropping 51 against the Orlando Magic on Friday — performances that are already drawing comparisons to the legendary Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson, the only two rookies in history with three or more 40-point games.

That kind of production naturally gets people talking, and now his own head coach is pointing him toward the greatest blueprint in the game. Mavs HC Jason Kidd, who coached the Los Angeles Lakers veteran (2019-21), offered rookie Flagg the blueprint to learn from LeBron’s distinguished NBA career.

“You know, you talk about winning, you talk about longevity, you talk about always improving their game each year, and then just understanding, having fun,” Kidd told reporters ahead of tonight’s Lakers vs. Mavericks game. “LeBron has turned his company into a billion-dollar industry. He’s done extremely well, not just on the court but off the court. So, just understanding that it’s not easy to be LeBron or to be considered one of the best to do it. But the biggest thing is LeBron’s putting in time; he’s working extremely hard at his craft, and so it’s paid off, and he’s going to go down as one of the best.”

LeBron and Flagg went head-to-head tonight, both putting up impressive numbers in the first half. In fact, this was the first time that a player above 40 and a teenager both scored 20+ points in a single game.

But it was the 19-year-old who had the last laugh. Flagg nearly hit the 50-point mark for a second straight game, finishing with a staggering line of 46 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists — a performance that made him the first rookie since Allen Iverson to post back-to-back 40-point games. He led Dallas to a commanding 134-128 win over James & Co.

Meanwhile, the Lakers struggled without their injured stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. King James was the top scorer with 30 points while Rui Hachimura chipped in with 21, but that wasn’t enough to beat the high-flying Mavs. Coach JJ Redick will be concerned with this display, as Luka’s potential return date remains up in the air. There’s trouble brewing in the city of angels.

Carmelo Anthony singles out Cooper Flagg as the ROTY favorite

The ROTY race is heating up fast, and as Flagg keeps making history, the NBA world is being forced to weigh in. On one side, you have Flagg’s jaw-dropping scoring runs.

On the other hand, Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel is quietly building one of the most prolific three-point shooting seasons the league has ever seen. Veterans who know what it takes to win at this level aren’t staying quiet about it.

Carmelo Anthony, a true scoring icon, was asked to pick between the two youngsters ahead of tonight’s game at the American Airlines Center. His answer was crystal clear.

“My pick was Knueppel,” Anthony admitted when asked about potential ROTY favorites.

“When you look at what Cooper Flagg is actually doing, one of the youngest to score 50 the other night, back-to-back 40. We talk about star power and faces of the league. Cooper has everything you could possibly want from a young superstar… We talk about Wemby all the time with the stat stuffing; he’s going to be that from now to the end of time. I don’t see too many young players who have what he has. I’m going to go with Cooper.”

While Anthony has made up his mind, Knueppel is continuing to turn heads. He passed Donovan Mitchell (187) for second on the rookie three-point made list with a 33-point game vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers. But another former Duke Blue Devil is hot in pursuit. The number four pick from Duke shattered multiple 3-point records in the 2025-26 season.

He set the all-time NBA rookie mark with 207 made threes in just 59 games, surpassing Keegan Murray’s 206 from 80 games. Knueppel also leads the entire league in total threes made (209+), the first rookie to do so.

Flagg’s supernova stats and marketability position him as the emotional frontrunner, while Knueppel’s surgical shooting rewrites record books and anchors Charlotte’s unexpected surge.

Anthony’s endorsement stresses a rare consensus: both Duke products embody the next wave of dominance. While Knueppel’s efficiency is undeniable. The vote may ultimately come down to a classic debate: historic production versus sheer, undeniable star power.