Former Duke Blue Devil turned NBA rookie sensation Kon Knueppel has been enjoying the sweet life as of late. Recently named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for both October and November, Knueppel is thriving with the Charlotte Hornets, even overtaking former teammate Cooper Flagg as the odds-on favorite to win the league’s Rookie of the Year award.

The electric rookie has been the talk of the league for his stellar play, leading to even more national attention, including a recent late-night television appearance.

Tuesday evening, in between road matchups against the Brooklyn Nets and the New York Knicks, Knueppel was a featured guest on The Tonight Show, hosted by Jimmy Fallon. Topics ranged from life as an NBA player to Knueppel bringing his entire team over to his parents’ house in Milwaukee last month while the team was on a road trip to face the Bucks.

Averaging 18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.0 assists over his first 20 games in the NBA, Knueppel has clearly had no trouble adjusting, though the young sharpshooter admitted some aspects of league life take some getting used to.

“I mean, it’s a little bit different than college,” Knueppel admitted. “You’re playing a lot more games. I was telling somebody the other day that we’re 20 games in, and that’s halfway through a college season, and we’re only a quarter the way through the NBA season.”

Fallon acknowledged how tiring that kind of travel must be, which Knueppel agreed with, but also acknowledged the benefits—being able to appear on the Tonight Show, among them.

Knueppel was also asked about Cooper Flagg, his former teammate and the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

“Yes, he’s awesome,” Knueppel said. “He’s a great player. He’s good on both ends, offense, defense, does it all, but just a better, better guy.”

Flagg had a bit slower start to the season, especially compared to Knueppel, but he’s turned it on as of late, building on increasingly impressive performances as the franchise continues to put more and more trust in him. This season, Flagg is averaging 17.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game, but has seen increased production over his last three games, averaging 24.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists.

Knueppel and Flagg matched up against each other in the preseason, with Kon coming out on top, but have yet to face off in the regular season. The Hornets and Mavericks are set to match up in Dallas on Jan. 29 and again in Charlotte on March 3.

For more on Knueppel’s appearance on The Tonight Show, the entire interview can be found below: