Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The 2024-25 NBA Rookie of the Year race features two standout candidates producing elite numbers for their respective teams — Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel.
- Flagg excelled as a primary creator and stopper, putting up big numbers. Knueppel broke a rookie shooting record and was key to the Hornets' turnaround.
- This year's battle mirrors historic tight races, including recent contests where margins were decided by single-digit first-place vote differences.
This year's Rookie of the Year race is coming down to the wire. According to a Google document that is created by Max Croes (@CroesFire) that tracks all the ballots we currently have information on, Flagg is winning by a narrow margin. Of the 27 first place votes we are aware of, 14 have gone to Flagg, while 13 are in favor of Knueppel.
Flagg put up huge numbers — 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game — often acting as the Mavericks primary offensive creator and defensive stopper. Knueppel's individual stats aren't quite as impressive — 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists per game — but he broke the record for 3-pointers by a rookie and helped lead the Hornets to a 44-38 record and the cusp of a playoff spot.
While I personally think Knueppel should be the one taking home the award, this is clearly going to be a photo finish. So, in honor of this, let's take a look back at the tightest battles for ROY in NBA history.
There have been 3 ROY ties in NBA history
Did you know it is possible for there to be a tie for ROY? Well, it is, and it has happened three times. The first time was in 1970-71, when Geoff Petrie and Dave Cowens both received 36 first place votes. That year, "Pistol" Pete Maravich also recieved 21 first place votes, so it was one of the rare three-horse races.
The second time it happened was in 1994-95, when Grant Hill and Jason Kidd both received 43 first place votes. Glenn Robinson (15 first place votes), Eddie Jones (two), Brian Grant (one), and Juwan Howard (1) also got first place votes.
The most recent tie came five years after the one we just mentioned in 1999-00. That year, Elton Brand and Steve Francis both received 58 first place votes. Lamar Odom (three) and Andre Miller (two) also got first place votes, but neither of them came close to the recognition Brand and Francis garnered.
This means it has been a quarter century since we have seen a dead tie for rookie of the year. However, given how close the race between Knueppel and Flagg currently is, we may finally be ending that drought.
Other notable close ROY races
When you look back at past rookie of the year races, there are a ton of lopsided finishes. Last season, Stephon Castle got 92 of 100 possible first place votes. The year before, Victor Wembanyama got all 99 first place nominations.
The last time there was a race this close was in 2022. That season, Scottie Barnes narrowly edged out Evan Mobley 48-43. The funny thing is Cade Cunningham -- the best player of all of them -- only got nine first place votes.
Some other close finishes include 2003 (where Amar'e Stoudemire beat Yao Ming 58-45), 1997 (Allen Iverson beat Stephon Marbury 44-35, and Shareef Abdur-Rahim also got 25 votes), and 1994 (Chris Webber beat Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway 53-47).
In 1981, there was four players who got at least ten first place votes. Darrell Griffith got 19 first place votes, Kevin Ransey had 18, Larry Smith had 14, and Kevin McHale had 11.
More NBA news and analysis:
Add us as a preferred source on Google