Are you watching this? Probably not. Unless you attend Hornet’s basketball games, or, well, I don’t know, your NBA basketball consumption includes a team not often shown on TV. It’s not on the nightly dunk highlights. It is even difficult to see if Kon is in your arena for a night as a member of the away team. That one time view, allows you to say, he was hot that night. It’s not flashy, and it doesn’t hit you like a lightning bolt. Nevertheless, Kon Knueppel it the brand new latest NBA phenom. Along with his Duke teammate Cooper, they are the phenom diaper babies of the League.
If you think he is a flash in the pan, hold onto your socks. This wave is steady, fundamental, and quite ‘ole’ school. Like a Larry Bird kinda not flashy player in his style. At the end of the night is when his talent shows up. When you take a look at his state sheet, his talent shows up. If you do this after every game that Kon Knueppel plays, it is evident that this kid can play.
He is young and good at playing the game of basketball.
I had my doubts in his early Duke days, but friends who had watched Kon Knueppel play kept telling me how good of a basketball player he was in their view. After a few games and targeting my eyes on him, I understood how good he is at the basic fundamentals of the game.
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CHARLOTTE — Kon Knueppel was laughing at himself. Chuckling, anyway, as he went through some video clips from last season, breaking down the plays, comparing himself to himself. It’s one of several dozen ways he keeps pushing to improve in his job with the Charlotte Hornets.
“I was actually watching some old college tape,” Knueppel told NBA.com this week, a smile crossing his face, “and I think I’ve gotten so much better. Watching some Duke tape, I was like, ‘Man, I was [missing] a lot of bunnies around the rim.’ I just think the work I put in pre-Draft and the offseason really prepared me to be ready to go. And to contribute right away.
“I used to do it year to year. Last year I watched my high school stuff and each year, I’d watch the previous year. You can kind of see areas of growth and I think that’s cool.”
There’s a lot of growing and learning going on in Charlotte through the first half of 2025-26. The Hornets have four rookies, each making his mark at a different pace.
There’s Knueppel, of course, who sits atop the latest Kia Rookie Ladder. The 6-foot-6 native of Milwaukee and No. 4 pick overall last June has been locked in a 1-2 duel all season with his Duke teammate from last season, Dallas Mavericks big man Cooper Flagg, in the weekly rankings that track the league’s newcomers and their progress toward All-Rookie teams and the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy for the Rookie of the Year.
But wait, there’s more: Hornets President of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson selected Duke guard Sion James and Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner with the Nos. 33 and 34 picks. A few days after the Draft, he picked up UConn forward Liam McNeely, the No. 29 pick, in a trade with Phoenix.
The moves deepened the Hornets’ talent base but upped its youth quotient. Eleven of the 18 players on the roster are under 25, and seven haven’t yet turned 24. Even a few prominent veterans — Miles Bridges (27 years old) LaMelo Ball (24) and Brandon Miller (23) — are still establishing themselves in the league. That influx of young guys could have altered the dynamics of coach Charles Lee’s locker room.
“I knew the four guys we were bringing in … they were just so secure in themselves,” Peterson said. “They’re about their team and that we win. And they all complement each other.”
Every GM is looking for that Goldilocks roster: neither too old nor too young. At the Hornets’ end of the time continuum, the skills and the energy are there, but experience and wisdom can’t be rushed.
“It’s like a collective patience,” Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said when asked what a young team needs most. “Not just as a coaching staff but as an organization. Make sure your processes are right. And if you’re not winning, how are guys developing? You can measure that.”
Atkinson has seen all sorts of roster constructions from previous stops with the New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, LA Clippers and now, the Cavs.
“Especially with the talent they have – lottery talent all around – it starts to turn,” he said. “That’s what you’re seeing with this team. A ton of talent, they’re starting to jell, guys are improving and you can see it. That road trip they just had [going 3-2 out West] was phenomenal.”
So far, the Hornets’ rookies have been an elixir, their contributions outweighing any hard lessons.
“The way they come in the building every day with their energy, with their curiosity to learn,” Lee said. “Even from the standpoint of Liam [who has split time in the NBA G League], he’s brought a new term for us to break our huddles. Most of our huddles now we break, ‘Hive on three.’ ‘One, two, three, hive!’ First day of summer league, he said it. It stuck throughout the offseason. We still use it and we love it.”
Kon Knueppel II
born August 3, 2005) is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils, and he was drafted fourth overall in the 2025 NBA draft by the Hornets.
High school career
Knueppel grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and attended Wisconsin Lutheran High School. He averaged 10.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game during his freshman season with the Wisconsin Lutheran Vikings. Knueppel averaged 19.7 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game as a junior. As a senior, he averaged 26.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game during the regular season and was named Wisconsin Mr. Basketball. He helped Wisconsin Lutheran win the 2024 Boys Basketball Division 2 State Championship against Pewaukee and finish the season with a 30–0 record.
Recruiting
Knueppel was rated a five-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals and a four-star recruit by ESPN and On3.
Knueppel enrolled at Duke University in June 2024 in order to take part in the Blue Devils’ summer practices. He made his college basketball debut during Duke’s season opener against Maine on November 4, 2024.
Professional career
Charlotte Hornets (2025–present)
Knueppel was selected with the fourth overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2025 NBA draft.
Knueppel continued his form with a near triple-double on the same day in a 121–111 loss against the Los Angeles Lakers, logging 19 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.
On November 14, Knueppel scored a career-high 32 points in a 147–134 overtime loss against his hometown team, the Milwaukee Bucks, including two late three-point buckets to tie the game and send it to overtime
Knueppel was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for November.
On December 22, Knueppel achieved his 100th career three-pointer in a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He did so in just his 29th career game, setting a record for the fastest to 100 career three-pointers made in NBA history and surpassing Lauri Markkanen’s previous record by 12 games.
Personal life
BASKETBALL IN THE BLOOD
He went to grade school and attended church at St. John’s Lutheran of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.
He is the oldest of five boys, and his brothers’ names — in order of birth — are Kager, Kinston, Kash, and Kid.
Knueppel’s father, also named Kon, played college basketball at Wisconsin Lutheran College and was the school’s all-time leading scorer until 2019.
His father and his uncles Klint, Klay, and Kole competed in the Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament as a team named the “Flying Knueppel Brothers”. Kole is now a college football referee in the Big Ten Conference.
Knueppel’s mother, Chari (née Nordgaard), played at Wisconsin-Green Bay and is the school’s leading scorer.
Knueppel’s uncle, Jeff Nordgaard, also played at Wisconsin-Green Bay and played in the NBA for the Milwaukee Bucks and professionally in Europe.
Kon Knueppel II[1] (/kəˈnɪpəl/ kə-NIH-pəl; born August 3, 2005) is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils, and he was drafted fourth overall in the 2025 NBA draft by the Hornets.
Early life and high school career
Knueppel grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and attended Wisconsin Lutheran High School.[2] He averaged 10.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game during his freshman season with the Wisconsin Lutheran Vikings.[3] Knueppel averaged 19.7 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game as a junior.[4] As a senior, he averaged 26.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game during the regular season and was named Wisconsin Mr. Basketball.[5] He helped Wisconsin Lutheran win the 2024 Boys Basketball Division 2 State Championship against Pewaukee and finish the season with a 30–0 record.[6][7]
Recruiting
Knueppel was rated a five-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals and a four-star recruit by ESPN and On3.[8][9] He committed to playing college basketball for Duke over offers from Alabama, Virginia, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Marquette, and USC among others.[10][11] Knueppel signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the Blue Devils on November 15, 2023, during the early signing period.[12]
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kon Knueppel SG / SF | Milwaukee, WI | Wisconsin Lutheran (WI) | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | Sep 21, 2023 | |
Recruit ratings: Rivals:  247Sports: On3:  ESPN: (89) | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: Rivals: 9 247Sports: 18 On3: 18 ESPN: 19 | ||||||
Sources:
| ||||||
College career
Knueppel enrolled at Duke University in June 2024 in order to take part in the Blue Devils‘ summer practices.[13] He made his college basketball debut during Duke’s season opener against Maine on November 4, 2024, and tallied 22 points with four rebounds in a 96–62 win.[14] On November 11, 2024, Knueppel earned Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Rookie of the week honors, after averaging 18.5 points, three rebounds and two assists per game.[15]
On December 21, 2024, Knueppel scored 18 points and grabbed 4 rebounds in a 82–56 win over Georgia Tech.[16] On January 7, 2025, Knueppel recorded 17 points and 4 rebounds in a 76–47 victory against Pittsburgh.[17] On January 14, 2025, Knueppel scored 25 points and dished out 3 assists in a 89–54 win over Miami.[18] On January 25, 2025, Knueppel added 15 points and 8 rebounds in a 63–56 victory against Wake Forest.[19] On January 27, 2025, Knueppel put up 19 points and 6 rebounds in a 74–64 win over NC State.[20] On February 1, 2025, Knueppel scored 22 points in a 87–70 victory against arch-rival North Carolina.[21] On February 17, 2025, Knueppel added 17 points and 7 rebounds in a 80–62 win over Virginia.[22] On February 25, 2025, Knueppel posted 20 points and 5 rebounds in a 97–60 win against Miami.[23]
On March 15, 2025, Knueppel was named ACC tournament MVP as he scored 18 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in Duke‘s 73–62 victory over Louisville in the ACC championship game.[24]
Professional career
Charlotte Hornets (2025–present)
Knueppel was selected with the fourth overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2025 NBA draft.[25] He led the Hornets to become the 2025 NBA Summer League Champions. For his efforts, Knueppel was awarded the Summer League Championship MVP, as he put up 21 points, five rebounds, and two assists in an 83–78 win over the Sacramento Kings.[26] Knueppel made his NBA regular season debut on October 22, recording 11 points and five rebounds in a 136–117 win over the Brooklyn Nets.[27][28] Following a string of strong performances including a 30-point game against Miami Heat, Knueppel was nominated for the Eastern Conference Player of the Week on November 9.[29] Knueppel continued his form with a near triple-double on the same day in a 121–111 loss against the Los Angeles Lakers, logging 19 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.[30] On November 14, Knueppel scored a career-high 32 points in a 147–134 overtime loss against his hometown team, the Milwaukee Bucks, including two late three-point buckets to tie the game and send it to overtime.[31] Knueppel received his second nomination for Eastern Conference Player of the Week on November 23 after averaging over 26.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and three assists over four games that week.[32] On November 19, Knueppel set a record as the fastest NBA player to make 50 three point shots, doing so in his 15th game.[33] Knueppel also set a record for most 3-pointers made throughout the first 17 games of a career with 63, significantly ahead of the previous record of 47. [34] On December 2, Knueppel was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for November, ahead of teammate Ryan Kalkbrenner and Philadelphia 76ers‘ V. J. Edgecombe. Knueppel averaged over 18 points, five rebounds and three assists for the month.[35] On December 22, Knueppel achieved his 100th career three-pointer in a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He did so in just his 29th career game, setting a record for the fastest to 100 career three-pointers made in NBA history and surpassing Lauri Markkanen‘s previous record by 12 games.[36][37]
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | Duke | 39 | 39 | 30.5 | .479 | .406 | .914 | 4.0 | 2.7 | 1.0 | .2 | 14.4 |
Personal life
Knueppel is a Christian.[38] He went to grade school and attended church at St. John’s Lutheran of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.[39] He is the oldest of five boys, and his brothers’ names — in order of birth — are Kager, Kinston, Kash, and Kid.[40]
Knueppel’s father, also named Kon, played college basketball at Wisconsin Lutheran College and was the school’s all-time leading scorer until 2019.[41] His father and his uncles Klint, Klay, and Kole competed in the Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament as a team named the “Flying Knueppel Brothers”.[42] Kole is now a college football referee in the Big Ten Conference.[43] Knueppel’s mother, Chari (née Nordgaard), played at Wisconsin-Green Bay and is the school’s leading scorer.[44] Knueppel’s uncle, Jeff Nordgaard, also played at Wisconsin-Green Bay and played in the NBA for the Milwaukee Bucks and professionally in Europe.[45]
