Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg has been on a mission to secure the Rookie of the Year award. On Sunday, Flagg had a follow-up for his masterful performance against the Orlando Magic. The rookie forward had 51 points on 63.3% shooting from the field on a tough 138-127 loss to the Magic.
Against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, the rising NBA star had 45 points to lead the Mavericks to a 134-128 win. He is the first rookie this season to have back-to-back 40-point games. It was a historic scoring performance for Flagg, as he reached another milestone in his professional NBA career.
Cooper Flagg Surpasses LeBron James in NBA History
© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
There have been plenty of outstanding young stars in the league, but Flagg continues to surprise the fans. The Mavericks forward surpassed LeBron James for the most 40-point games by a teenager. During James' rookie season, he had three games where he finished with 40 points.
Flagg, meanwhile, has had four games, and the season is not over yet.
He also joined Basketball Hall of Famer Allen Iverson as the only two rookies to have back-to-back games of at least 40 points since 1968. Iverson had 44 points on April 11, 1997, against the Milwaukee Bucks, and followed it up with a 50-point game over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The other players who reached that feat are Wilt Chamberlain, Earl Monroe, Elvin Hayes, George Mikan, Walt Bellamy and Oscar Robertson. Once again, Flagg continues to join historic groups as he carves a promising young career.
In the first half of the Mavericks' game against the Lakers, the former Duke star had a notable achievement with James. In the first two quarters, Flagg had 26 points, while the veteran star had 22 points. They played in the first NBA game where a player who was at least 40 years old and a teenager both had 20 points in the opening half of the game.
“FLAGG AND LEBRON MAKE HISTORY 🚨” the league acknowledged. “They are the first players in NBA history to each score 20+ PTS in the same game with one player age 40+ and the other a teenager🤯”
While the Rookie of the Year has been tight because of Charlotte Hornets forward Kon Knueppel, Flagg's recent performances have increased his chances of winning. Flagg could be the third player in Mavericks history to win the award. If he does, he will join his head coach, Jason Kidd, and six-time All-Star Luka Doncic on the list.
