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Mavericks Phenom Cooper Flagg Tops LeBron James In Stunning Stat

The young Mavericks' star is having a massive rookie season.
Apr 5, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA;  Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) during the first half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Apr 5, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) during the first half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

In this story:

The NBA's Rookie of the Year race is reaching its final stages, and Dallas Mavericks star Cooper Flagg has more than proven that he's up to the challenge.

Funnily enough, the two frontrunners for the award are Flagg and his former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel. There's no doubt that Knueppel has put together an impressive campaign, setting the league record for most three pointers in a single season by a rookie, along with the franchise mark from distance.

Knueppel is a major reason that the Hornets are in the playoff race after failing to make the postseason for a decade.

READ MORE: Mavericks Cooper Flagg Gets Major Rookie Of The Year Backing From NBA Legend

On the other hand, Flagg and the Mavericks are bound for the lottery again, but that doesn't make his performance any less notable. In fact, Flagg might have cemented the hardware with his last two outings.

Flagg has put up 45 points in consecutive games, including a career-high 51 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block in a 138-127 loss to the Orlando Magic. Regardless of the defeat, he was the youngest player in NBA History to put up 50+ points.

A season filled with tremendous growth has seen Flagg move into the top spot for yet another record.

Cooper Flagg Overtakes LeBron James For Most 40-Point Games By A Teenager

Cooper Flag
Apr 5, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) reacts after scoring against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Coincidentally, Flagg claimed LeBron James' record while suiting up against the NBA legend on Easter.

Flagg posted 45 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block as the Mavericks took down the Los Angeles Lakers, 134-128.

READ MORE: Mavericks' Cooper Flagg Has Made a 'Fan' Out of Lakers' LeBron James

The outing marked Flagg's fourth game with 40+ points this season. That moved Flagg ahead of James for the most 40-point games by a teenager.

The rookie records will be filled with Flagg's name in the coming years. He's linked to James in a multitude of ways. Flagg previously broke James' records for the youngest player to record 10 assists in an NBA game, and the youngest player to score 35 and 40 points in a single game.

James and Flagg are the only two players in league history to score 30 or more points in a game before turning 19.

Flagg was named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month from November through January.

On the season, Flagg has appeared in 66 games, averaging 21.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.2 steals in 33.9 minutes per outing. He's shooting 47.3% from the field, 29.7% from three-point range, and 82.0% from the charity stripe.

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Dustin Lewis
DUSTIN LEWIS

Lewis joined BucsGameday when it was founded in 2022. He's also the Editor-In-Chief of NoleGameday. A graduate of Florida State, Lewis has worked for NG since 2016.

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