Cooper Flagg Sends Message to Kon Knueppel Before NBA Draft
Cooper Flagg Sends Message to Kon Knueppel Before NBA Draft originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
As the 2025 NBA season winds down with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers tied 2-2 heading into Game 5, all eyes are also on the upcoming NBA draft.
Advertisement
Set for June 25, the draft will welcome a fresh class of talent to the league. Widely considered one of the stronger classes in recent years, it's expected to be full of big names hoping to make an immediate impact on their new teams.
One of those names is 19-year-old Kon Knueppel. The former Duke Blue Devils star, who played high school ball at Wisconsin Lutheran, is projected to be a lottery pick.
Standing 6-foot-7, Knueppel's elite shooting ability and versatile scoring make him a hot commodity for NBA teams. He also brings a winning background; he helped Duke go 35-4 and reach the NCAA tournament Final Four this past season.
On Friday, Knueppel shared a message on social media that read, "Time flies when you're having fun."
The post included several photos, but one stood out. Knueppel sitting between Cooper Flagg and Khaman Maluach.
Advertisement
What got fans talking was the response from Flagg, the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft.
"K dot."
Even Duke Basketball's official account chimed in with a comment:
"KONTENT."
Former Duke star forward Cooper FlaggDavid Banks-Imagn Images
According to ESPN's latest mock draft, Flagg is expected to go first overall to the Dallas Mavericks. Maluach is projected to go seventh to the New Orleans Pelicans, while Knueppel is slotted at No. 8 to the Brooklyn Nets.
The NBA finals may still be unfolding, but the excitement around the draft and the future stars it brings is already building.
Related: Carmelo Anthony's Son Kiyan Anthony Reacts to Syracuse News on Thursday
Related: Duke Basketball Reveals Big News on Defending National Champions
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
7 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Biro, Vázquez each score a goal, Austin snaps 8-game winless streak, beats Red Bulls 2-1
AUSTIN, Texas — Guilherme Biro and Brandon Vázquez each scored a goal to help Austin FC beat the New York Red Bulls 2-1 on a rain-soaked Saturday night. Austin (7-7-5),which beat Colorado 2-0 last time out, has won back-to-back games following an eight-game winless streak. Vázquez redirected a cross, played in by Osman Bukari, in the inside of his left foot from point-blank range to give Austin a 2-1 lead in the 51st minute.
Washington Post
7 minutes ago
- Washington Post
NWSL's Angel City wears T-shirts reading `Immigrant City Football Club'
Angel City, the National Women's Soccer League team based in Los Angeles, distributed T-shirts to fans on Saturday that proclaimed 'Immigrant City Football Club.' Members of the team and the coaching staff also wore the shirts before their game Saturday night against the North Carolina Courage in solidarity with immigrants in the city who have been targeted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The back of the shirts said 'Los Angeles is for Everyone' in English and Spanish. The team said some 10,000 shirts were distributed. Protests over President Donald Trump's immigration policies broke out in Los Angeles a week ago. National Guard members and Marine troops have been sent into the city and dozens of similar protests have broken out nationwide. Last week Angel City issued a statement on social media addressing the protests. 'We are heartbroken by the fear and uncertainty many in our Los Angeles community are feeling right now,' it said. 'At Angel City, we believe in the power of belonging. We know that our city is stronger because of it's diversity and the people and families who shape it, love it and call it home.' The players' unions for the NWSL and the WNBA also expressed solidarity with families 'facing fear, hardship, and uncertainty tied to immigration.' 'We stand with all people seeking safety, dignity, and opportunity, no matter where they come from or where they hope to go,' the NWSLPA and WNBPA posted jointly. 'Every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. We know not every situation is simple. But offering compassion should never be up for debate.' ___ AP soccer:
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
How Jordan Ta'amu's UFL MVP snub motivated Defenders in 2025 championship game
ST. LOUIS — The UFL named Michigan Panthers quarterback Bryce Perkins its MVP for the 2025 season on its social media channels at 1:49 p.m. local time on Friday. It didn't take long for DC Defenders tight end Briley Moore to reach out to his quarterback, Jordan Ta'amu, who Moore believed "was a lock" to win the distinguished honor. Advertisement At 2:51 p.m. local time, Moore sent a text to his quarterback. The 27-year-old shared the message verbatim in a news conference following the Defenders' 58-34 win over the Panthers in the 2025 UFL championship game. "I can't wait either at all," Moore read. "But when you're holding up that trophy on stage tomorrow night, I'm gonna be chanting MVP." That's exactly what happened. The entire Defenders team serenaded its quarterback after Ta'amu put together a record-breaking performance in the championship game. Ta'amu completed 21 of 28 passes for a league-record 390 yards while logging five total touchdowns in DC's rout. Despite being a part of the action, Moore could hardly believe what his quarterback had achieved. Advertisement "I mean, this stat line is insane," Moore said, while glancing over a stat sheet from Saturday's game. "But that's just him. After getting that news (he didn't win MVP) 24 hours ago, he didn't flinch. He didn't try to do too much. He didn't let him affect him, and he just balled out." Moore believes one of the reasons Ta'amu progressed so much in 2025 — a season during which he led the league in passing touchdowns with 17 — was that the quarterback was playing "with a different confidence." Ta'amu explained his confidence stemmed from the trust he has in his teammates, who he said motivated him after he finished behind Perkins in the regular-season MVP voting. "Just having that brotherhood behind me meant a lot," Ta'amu said when he explained how he felt about Moore's pregame message to him. Advertisement While Ta'amu praised Perkins as a "great quarterback" who deserved to be the MVP, he acknowledged that his missing out on the award fueled him and the entire Defenders team. "It just gave us a big chip on our shoulder to go out there and play hard," Ta'amu said about the championship game. The Defenders were able to do that, thanks in no small part to their offense. DC scored on its opening 10 possessions and set a UFL record for points scored in a game with 58. Moore was among those happy DC exacted revenge on Michigan, both for the team's sake and for Ta'amu's. Advertisement "I feel like I didn't do enough throughout the season to get him that MVP," Moore said. "So, this game was a little personal." All the NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY's 4th and Monday newsletter. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How Jordan Ta'amu's UFL MVP snub motivated Briley Moore, Defenders
