India, Oct. 23 -- The 2025-26 NBA season is barely a week old, but the Rookie of the Year (ROTY) race has already ignited a heated early rivalry between Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg and Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe.

Flagg, the No 1 overall pick out of Duke, and Edgecombe, selected third from Baylor, have been linked since their high school days. The latter made an explosive debut vs the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, scoring 34 points in a slim win. He broke LeBron James' 22-year-old record by scoring the most points in the first quarter of their debut NBA game.

Both teams are thrilled by their rookies' promise, but the "rivalry" narrative, fueled by social media hype, has fans debating who will claim the Kia ROTY award....