Cooper Flagg just hinted at a thrilling Mavericks rivalry no one expected

Dallas Mavericks star forward Cooper Flagg was the clear Rookie of the Year favorite a couple of months ago, but after missing eight games from a left midfoot sprain suffered on February 10, former college teammate and roommate Kon Knueppel has taken the mantle in this race. Flagg still has 12 games left to make a case for himself, and as great a relationship as he and Knueppel have off the court, it's undeniable that the two uber-competitive rookies will have a great rivalry for years to come.

Flagg recently teased this in a sit-down interview with ESPN journalist Malika Andrews when asked about Dallas' matchup with the Charlotte Hornets and his 49-point outing versus the Hornets on January 29, "That was one of, if not the most fun games of the year for me… Obviously would have loved to win it, but it was still a really fun game."

Knueppel also had his current career-high in that contest with 34 points, including two game-sealing free throws to put Dallas away in the final seconds of the game. It's been well documented how hard Flagg plays in every second of every game, but it's hard to deny he probably didn't have a little extra juice in that contest, as he and Knueppel got the absolute best out of each other that night.

Dallas hasn't had an Eastern Conference rival in years

Besides a brief rivalry with the Miami Heat following the 2011 NBA Championship, Dallas hasn't really had any Eastern Conference rivals in their team history, so the Flagg-Knueppel arc could definitely spur a fun rivalry that isn't based on playoff bouts, seeding implications, or regional location. This would be good for the NBA as a whole, as there are very few of these rivalries across the league besides the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, even if this isn't close to that magnitude.

Flagg and Knueppel offer a unique storyline for fans anytime they're playing against each other, as they both have calm personalities off the court, but are both fiery competitors on the court, while having as good a friendship as you'll see in the NBA for being on different teams. Given how they fared against each other on January 29, the NBA should prioritize nationally televising Mavericks-Hornets games if possible in seasons going forward.

This rivalry goes deeper than Flagg vs. Knueppel

Of course, Flagg versus Knueppel is more of an individual rivalry compared to a holistic Mavericks-Hornets rivalry at this point, but there's definitely some added juice on both sides if P.J. Washington remains in Dallas and Josh Green remains in Charlotte.

With the Hornets miraculously above .500 and shaping up to be a play-in team now, they are gaining the respect of the league once again, and Dallas projects to be a lot better next season as well, so Mavericks-Hornets games should be very fun when looking ahead to next season.

Who knows, perhaps the Mavericks and Hornets could meet up in the NBA Finals one day, as far-fetched as that may seem in the present. That would undoubtedly add more fuel to this potential rivalry, but if there's one thing that is clear at this point, it's that Flagg versus Knueppel will be must-see television whenever they match up against each other for the rest of their careers.