\t\t\t\t\t25<\/p>\n
Kon Knueppel has flipped the NBA upside down this season. Since the Hornets grabbed him with the fourth pick, he\u2019s been on a tear, breaking records left and right. On March 5th, 2026, he took over in Boston, leading Charlotte past the Celtics for their sixth win in a row. Now, everyone\u2019s talking about him as the clear favourite for the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy. Knueppel\u2019s putting up 19.2 points a night and hitting nearly 44% of his threes, which is just wild. The Hornets aren\u2019t just scraping by anymore. Thanks to Knueppel, they\u2019ve gone from a team stuck in the lottery to a real playoff threat in the East.<\/p>\n
Who Is Kon Knueppel?<\/p>\n
Born on August 3 2005, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Kon Knueppel is a 6-foot-7-inch shooting forward for the Charlotte Hornets who has carved a niche for himself right in his debut NBA season. After a remarkable high school career at Wisconsin Lutheran and a standout \u201cone and done\u201d year at Duke University, Knueppel was selected as the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. His arrival in Charlotte has provided the perfect perimeter foil for star point guard LaMelo Ball, turning the Hornets into one of the league\u2019s most dangerous offensive units.<\/p>\n
our @Kia<\/a> MVP for february is @Kon2Knueppel<\/a>! \ud83c\udfc6<\/p>\n \u25ab\ufe0f team-high-tying 21.5 PTS on 50% shooting \u2014 Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) March 1, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n From Duke Blue Devil To NBA Sharpshooter<\/p>\n Before his NBA debut,\u00a0Knueppel\u00a0ruled\u00a0the\u00a0college court\u00a0at Duke, where he\u00a0earned\u00a0the\u00a0MVP of the\u00a0ACC Tournament\u00a0while being in the starting lineup for all 39 games.\u00a0Thanks to his physically \u2018NBA-ready\u2019 body and his ultra-quick shot release, which hardly leaves any room for defenders, his professional-level conversion has been quite smooth.\u00a0Besides knocking down 43.\u00a06% from beyond\u00a0the\u00a0arc,\u00a0Knueppel\u00a0has also caught the attention of the scouts with his secondary play-making\u00a0and\u00a0his defensive-mindedness.<\/p>\n Kon Knueppel Surpasses Keegan Murray In Record Time; Joining Exclusive NBA Royalty<\/p>\n Everybody\u2019s talking about Knueppel this NBA season, and it\u2019s easy to see why. By early March 2026, the 20-year-old had already drained 216 three-pointers, breaking Keegan Murray\u2019s rookie record of 206. The wild part is that Murray needed 80 games for that, but Knueppel blew past him in just 59.<\/p>\n Kon Knueppel 27 PTS, 2 REB, 4 AST, 9\/14 FG, 6\/10 3FG, 3\/3 FT, 88.1% TS vs Heat https:\/\/t.co\/PeRWwjveu9<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/lr3046jDkV<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Basketball Performances (@NBAPerformances) March 7, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n And the shooting numbers only tell half the story. Knueppel\u2019s putting up stats that only legends touch. After he dropped 20 points against Boston on March 5, he matched Michael Jordan for the most rookie games with at least 20 points and a True Shooting Percentage over 65%. That\u2019s not just good. That\u2019s rare air.<\/p>\n
\u25ab\ufe0f NBA-high 49 3PM on 49% shooting
\u25ab\ufe0f broke NBA rookie 3PM record on 2\/26
\u25ab\ufe0f has 20 more 3PM (211) than any other NBA player this season pic.twitter.com\/XexaA3vlyU<\/a><\/p>\n