Feb. 27, 2026, 9:48 a.m. ET
Kon Knueppel set the NBA record for the most 3-pointers in a season by a rookie on Thursday, helping the Charlotte Hornets to their ninth straight win on the road.
Knueppel produced 28 points, four rebounds, two assists, one steal and one blocked shot in a 133-109 victory over the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. He knocked down eight 3s and was a team-best plus-26 in 31 minutes, 12 seconds of action.
The fourth overall pick clinched the record in the third quarter with his sixth triple, surpassing Keegan Murray for the most in history. Murray sealed it in 80 games with the Sacramento Kings during the 2022-23 season, while Knueppel did so in his 59th game.
“Just my teammates for embracing me and really helping me out,” Knueppel said of what means most about the record. “That is a lot of 3s, and it is a lot of looks off other teammates. So them letting me come on the team and letting me play my game, I think, is cool.”
Averaging 3.5 3s per game this season, Knueppel on Tuesday became the fastest player in history to reach 200 career 3-pointers (58 games). He is currently the only player in the league this season with at least 200 3-pointers (209).
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Knueppel tied his own franchise record for 3s made in a single game with the performance, which was originally set on Jan. 29 in a win over the Dallas Mavericks. He is also the third rookie in history with multiple games of at least 30 points and seven 3s.
“It is very special to be a part of,” Hornets coach Charles Lee said. “Any time you can be around moments like that, that are historic, it is pretty special. To see where his story started and where he continues to ascend to is really cool. I think that not only has Kon done a phenomenal job to accomplish what he just accomplished, but it is also the players around him have put him in great positions. They’ve helped him along the way.”
Knueppel is averaging 19.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 44.2% from 3-point range this season with the Hornets. He leads the rookie class in total scoring (1,146) and is one of two first-year players with at least five 30-point games.
The former Duke guard has emerged as a significant contributor for the Hornets (29-31) and is a key reason the team is in contention for the play-in race. He wants to continue to build toward reaching the playoffs for the first time in 10 years.
“We got to take care of the games that we believe we should win,” Knueppel said. “So going forward, just playing together defensively and offensively will be the best strategy.”