In the first quarter of the NBA season, Charlotte Hornets rookie guard Kon Knueppel was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for games played in October and November.

The one-and-done University of Duke product is the third Hornet to win the award this century after a superb start to the season, beating teammate center Ryan Kalkbrenner and Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe.

Knueppel has surpassed all expectations for a Hornets team looking for future building blocks. He is averaging 18.1 points, 3.0 assists and 5.6 rebounds while shooting an efficient 45.7 percent from the field and 40.7 percent from three.

Knueppel’s 3.4 made threes per game puts him on pace to break the all-time rookie record for three-pointers in a single season, currently held by Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray from the 2022 to 2023 campaign. 

He also remains atop the KIA Rookie of the Year ladder for the fourth straight week as he aims to become the franchise’s fourth Rookie of the Year winner, the most recent being star guard LaMelo Ball in 2021.

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Rookie guard Kon Knueppel waits in the corner for the ball in a previous matchup.

 

 

 

Emmanuel Perkins/Niner Times

Not only has his play been exceptional, but his availability has been equally notable. Knueppel has yet to miss a game in a season riddled with injuries across the roster. 

He has consistently shown up for a Hornets group as arguably their best player and certainly their healthiest.

Another first for Knueppel was his appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Knueppel and Fallon discussed his rookie season and the viral moment when most of the Hornets roster joined the Knueppel family for dinner at their Milwaukee home earlier in the season while Charlotte was in town to play the Bucks.

With Fallon, he also joked that he never really had a choice not to play basketball, given his family history. Both of his parents were basketball players, and his uncle, Jeff Nordgaard, was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1996 NBA Draft. The 20-year-old has developed well beyond the child who didn’t enjoy the sport until he began playing NBA Jam.

Knueppel continues to put Charlotte on the map for all the right reasons, a true home-run pick for President of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson and the fan base. 

At a time when major decisions could be looming for the franchise, having Knueppel in place makes whatever future Charlotte builds feel far more promising.