Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel Make Relic History on NBA Topps NOW®

A Topps NOW® Rookie Chrome Showdown

Former teammates at Duke University, rookie phenoms Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel met for the first time on an NBA floor on January 29. An enthralling 123-121 win for Knueppels’ Hornets over Flagg’s Mavericks was nothing short of an instant classic. With Flagg’s 49-point effort and Knuepple dropping 34, the back-and-forth battle between these rising stars was historic. The combined 83 points by the opposing rookies was the most in 55 years.

Of course, NBA Topps NOW was there, capturing one of the most important moments of the season and in the young careers of two of The Hobby’s hottest rookies. At RIPPED, we sat down with Topps NOW Product Manager Matt Castoral to talk about the moment, the card, the exciting Dual Auto Relic to chase, and the new Chrome Parallel that the incredible demand for the card unlocked.

Meeting the Moment with Topps NOW

“We can never really anticipate a moment,” Castoral told RIPPED. But given the incredible seasons both Flagg and Knueppel have had, there was suspicion that this particular game might deliver. “Given that this was the first-ever matchup between two highly talented Rookie of the Year frontrunners, the team and I were locked in on this game. And it did not disappoint.”

Just as the team was not surprised to see the moment deliver, they expected this card to be highly sought-after.

“This moment really had everything from a milestone perspective,” Castoral explained. “It doesn’t get much better than two historic rookies putting together career performances in their very first matchup as they battle for Rookie of the Year.”

Flagg and Knueppel have been major chases in Topps and Topps NOW releases this season, and the timing and quality of performance created the perfect storm.

Then, there’s the design of the card itself, paying homage to another classic card featuring rivals. “The parallel to Kobe Bryant’s iconic 2008 Topps flagship card featuring LeBron James added an extra layer of appeal, for sure,” Castoral said.

The print run for the card Flagg/Knueppel reached 67,500 — the highest for any NBA Topps NOW card this year. Castoral was not surprised.

“Given the existing demand for Cooper and Kon’s standalone cards, we knew that uniting them and offering such an incredible 1/1 chase would get The Hobby buzzing.”

Crafting a Dual Relic for an Epic Duel

Topps NOW was thrilled to be able to get ahold of game-worn sneakers from both Flagg and Knueppel for this special release. Now, in addition to chasing numbered parallels, collectors can go after a remarkable piece of history captured in real time: a Dual Auto Relic 1-of-1 card with pieces of both sneakers embedded in the card, which is already one of the top releases of the NBA season so far.

This is part of the magic of Topps NOW. When the moment arrives, the card must meet it. As Castoral explained, “We wanted the design to mirror some of the premium multi-subject chases we’ve offered in the past. The 2024 Summer Olympics Triple Auto and the Triple Auto Relic we issued in the 2025 Dodgers World Series set are two examples that came to mind.”

The result is a card worthy of the history that unfolded when these two former teammates went head-to-head.

A Topps NOW Story Told in Chrome

The phenomenal demand for the card unlocked yet another chase for Topps NOW collectors. On top of standard parallels and the unique 1-of-1 Dual Auto Relic, the print run has qualified the card for Chrome Parallels numbered to /99 and /50.

Rookie Chrome offerings of Flagg and Knueppel have been among the most coveted cards from the recently-released 2025-26 Topps Chrome Basketball set, and this development — driven by The Hobby itself — continues the tale of these two Rookie of the Year frontrunners, told in Chrome.

But wait, there’s more! “I’m excited to share that in addition to this being the first NBA Topps NOW card to unlock Chrome parallels, these parallels will be the first cards across all Topps NOW programs to debut our brand-new Topps NOW Chrome logo,” Castoral announced. “Stay tuned for the full reveal on Topps socials.”

It’s fitting, as NBA Topps NOW continues its exciting 2025-26 season, that the two rookies who have shone so brightly would team up to create one of the top cards of the year in the Hardwood Hobby.

Once teammates, always teammates.

NBA Topps NOW FAQs

• What does the Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel NBA Topps NOW card commemorate?
  • The card celebrates Flagg and Knueppel’s first NBA meeting, a dramatic 123–121 Hornets win where both rookies posted huge scoring nights.
• Why is the Flagg/Knueppel Topps NOW print run a big deal?
  • The card reached 67,500, the top NBA Topps NOW print run of the season, reflecting how strongly collectors chased this moment.
• What’s the biggest chase card in this NBA Topps NOW release?
  • The top chase is a 1/1 Dual Auto Relic featuring autographs and game-worn sneaker relic pieces from both Flagg and Knueppel.
• What Chrome parallels were unlocked?
  • Demand qualified the release for Topps NOW Chrome parallels numbered to /99 and /50 (in addition to standard parallel chasing).

Key Facts:

• Event: First NBA matchup between former Duke teammates Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel
• Stat hook: Flagg scored 49 points; Knueppel scored 34 (83 combined — most by opposing rookies in 55 years)
• Topps NOW print run: 67,500 (highest NBA Topps NOW print run of the season)
• Chase highlight: 1/1 Dual Auto Relic with game-worn sneaker pieces from both players
• “Unlocked” element: Card qualified for Chrome Parallels numbered to /99 and /50

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