{"id":628133,"date":"2026-02-27T11:52:14","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T11:52:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/628133\/"},"modified":"2026-02-27T11:52:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T11:52:14","slug":"kon-knueppel-breaks-rookie-three-point-record-in-59-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/628133\/","title":{"rendered":"Kon Knueppel Breaks Rookie Three-Point Record in 59 Games"},"content":{"rendered":"

Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel<\/a>\u00a0made history Thursday night against the Indiana Pacers, shattering a milestone that stood for three seasons. With his 207th three-pointer, Knueppel etched his name into NBA record books.<\/p>\n

Kon Knueppel Breaks Rookie Three-Point Record in 59 Games<\/p>\n

The #4 overall pick from Duke shattered Keegan Murray<\/a>\u2018s rookie three-point record by drilling his 207th three-pointer against the Indiana Pacers. Knueppel finished with 28 points on 8-of-12 shooting from beyond the arc. Currently, he leads the entire NBA with 209 three-pointers<\/a>. Meanwhile, the Hornets cruised to a 133-109 victory.<\/p>\n

Breaking the Record<\/p>\n

Knueppel connected on five threes in the first half, his fifth make tying Murray\u2019s record of 206. He broke it early in the third quarter off an assist from Sion James<\/a>, his former Duke teammate.<\/p>\n

The moment was years in the making. For comparison, it took Murray 80 games during the 2022-23 season to set the previous record. In contrast,\u00a0 Knueppel needed just 59 games to surpass it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s exciting. It\u2019s refreshing. It\u2019s what elevates our whole culture when you have a guy that\u2019s that good, but that humble, no ego\u2026 it becomes contagious throughout your whole organization and environment.\u201d Hornets coach Charles Lee said<\/a> in an interview earlier this week about Knueppel.<\/p>\n

Historic Efficiency<\/p>\n

Knueppel isn\u2019t just making threes at high volume. More importantly, he\u2019s doing it with elite efficiency.\u00a0 The 20-year-old is shooting 44.2% from beyond the arc this season. That percentage ranks him among the best shooters in the entire league.<\/p>\n

Additionally, he\u2019s attempted 473 three-pointers through 59 games. That\u2019s average of eight attempts per game. As a result, his willingness to fire combined with his accuracy makes him virtually impossible to leave open.<\/p>\n

According to Cleaning the Glass, 93% of Knueppel\u2019s three-pointers come off assists<\/a>. Essentially, he\u2019s thrived as a catch-and-shoot specialist. Furthermore, his ability to move without the ball and find open space has drawn praise from across the league.<\/p>\n

The All-Time List<\/p>\n

Now, Knueppel sits alone atop the rookie three-point leaderboard:<\/p>\n

Kon Knueppel (Hornets, 2025-26): 209
\nKeegan Murray (Kings, 2022-23): 206
\nDonovan Mitchell (Jazz, 2017-18): 187<\/p>\n

\"FebFeb 26, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel (7) celebrates a made basket in the second half against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
\nHow High Can He Go?<\/p>\n

With 22 games remaining in the regular season, the question isn\u2019t whether Knueppel will extend the record. Rather, it\u2019s how far he\u2019ll push it beyond reach.<\/p>\n

At his current pace of 3.5 three-pointers per game, Knueppel could finish the season with approximately 280 three-pointers. That would obliterate the rookie record and place him among the top single-season performances in NBA history.<\/p>\n

For context, Stephen Curry<\/a>\u2018s single-season NBA record is 402 three-pointers in 2015-16. While Knueppel won\u2019t threaten that mark, he\u2019s already seperated himself from every rookie who came before him.<\/p>\n

The LaMelo Connection<\/p>\n

Knueppel\u2019s success is directly tied to playing alongside LaMelo Ball<\/a>. Ball\u2019s elite playmaking and court vision create wide-open looks for Knueppel on a nightly basis.<\/p>\n

The two have developed instant chemistry. When Ball penetrates and collapses the defense, Knueppel finds the open spaces. Consequently, Ball consistently rewards him with a perfectly timed pass.<\/p>\n

Rookie of the Year Race<\/p>\n

Knueppel\u2019s historic shooting has thrust him into a heated Rookie of the Year battle<\/a> with his former Duke teammate and roommate, Cooper Flagg<\/a> of the Dallas Mavericks.<\/p>\n

The two have traded the top spot on the NBA\u2019s Kia Rookie Ladder throughout the season. Breaking the three-point record strengthens Knueppel\u2019s case significantly.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s averaging 19.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game on 49\/44\/89 shooting splits. Those efficiency numbers put him on pace to become the first rookie ever to join the exclusive 50\/40\/90 club.<\/p>\n

Playoff Implications<\/p>\n

Knueppel\u2019s shooting has helped propel the Hornets back into playoff contention. Charlotte has not made the postseason since 2015-16. With 22 games remaining, they\u2019re fighting for a Play-In Tournament spot.<\/p>\n

The Hornets started 11-22 but have transformed into legitimate contenders. Knueppel\u2019s gravity on offense opens up the entire floor for Ball and Brandon Miller<\/a> to operate.<\/p>\n

His record-breaking performance against Indiana showcased why he was worth the #4 overall pick. The Hornets found a franchise cornerstone who\u2019s already rewriting NBA history.<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel\u00a0made history Thursday night against the Indiana Pacers, shattering a milestone that stood for…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":628134,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3774],"tags":[7,970,225,113,126,3866,3210,968,6,114,573],"class_list":{"0":"post-628133","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-indiana-pacers","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-brandon-miller","10":"tag-cooper-flagg","11":"tag-indiana","12":"tag-indiana-pacers","13":"tag-indianapacers","14":"tag-keegan-murray","15":"tag-kon-knueppel","16":"tag-nba","17":"tag-pacers","18":"tag-stephen-curry"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116142457982726840","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/628133","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=628133"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/628133\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/628134"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=628133"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=628133"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=628133"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}