Kon Knueppel Bio
Kon II Knueppel is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Milwaukee, Wisconsin, native played one season of college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils before entering the 2025 NBA Draft, where the Charlotte Hornets selected him with the fourth overall pick. A versatile wing listed at 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) and 215 lb (98 kg), Kon II Knueppel has quickly emerged as one of the league’s most productive young shooters. He plays the small forward and shooting guard positions and continues to represent the Hornets as a cornerstone of their rebuilding roster.
Early Life and Background
Kon II Knueppel was born on August 3, 2005, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He grew up in a deeply athletic family in the Milwaukee area and attended Wisconsin Lutheran High School, where he suited up for the Vikings basketball program. His early years in the city gave him a strong connection to the local hoops community, including his hometown Milwaukee Bucks.
Knueppel comes from a family with a long history in basketball. His father, also named Kon, played college basketball at Wisconsin Lutheran College and was the school’s all-time leading scorer until 2019. His mother, Chari (née Nordgaard), played at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and finished as the program’s leading scorer. Knueppel’s uncle, Jeff Nordgaard, also played at Wisconsin-Green Bay before appearing in the NBA with the Milwaukee Bucks and later playing professionally in Europe.
Knueppel is a Christian. He attended grade school and church at St. John’s Lutheran of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. He is the oldest of five boys, and his brothers, in order of birth, are Kager, Kinston, Kash and Kidman.
Path to Basketball
Kon II Knueppel starred at Wisconsin Lutheran High School, where he steadily built a national profile. He averaged 10.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game as a freshman and improved to 19.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists as a junior. As a senior, he averaged 26.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.1 assists during the regular season and was named Wisconsin Mr. Basketball. He led Wisconsin Lutheran to the 2024 Boys Basketball Division 2 State Championship over Pewaukee, helping the Vikings finish the season undefeated at 30–0.
Knueppel was rated a five-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals and a four-star recruit by ESPN and On3. He also competed in the 2024 Jordan Brand Classic. After considering offers from Alabama, Virginia, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Marquette and USC, he committed to Duke and signed a National Letter of Intent on November 15, 2023, during the early signing period.
Kon Knueppel Career
Early Career (2024–2025)
Kon II Knueppel enrolled at Duke University in June 2024 to participate in the Blue Devils’ summer practices. He made his college debut on November 4, 2024, against Maine, scoring 22 points with four rebounds in a 96–62 win. One week later, on November 11, 2024, he earned ACC Rookie of the Week honors after averaging 18.5 points, three rebounds and two assists per game.
During his lone season at Duke, Knueppel posted consistent scoring performances across ACC play. He recorded 18 points and four rebounds in an 82–56 win over Georgia Tech on December 21, 2024, and added 17 points against Pittsburgh on January 7, 2025. He scored 25 points with three assists in an 89–54 win over Miami on January 14, 2025, and followed that with 15 points and eight rebounds in a 63–56 victory against Wake Forest on January 25. He capped his ACC tournament run by scoring 18 points with eight rebounds in Duke’s 73–62 win over Louisville in the championship game, earning ACC tournament MVP honors. He was also named Second-team All-ACC and to the ACC All-Freshman Team for 2025.
Charlotte Hornets Era (2025–Present)
Kon II Knueppel was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets. He immediately helped the franchise capture the 2025 NBA Summer League Championship, earning Summer League Championship MVP after posting 21 points, five rebounds and two assists in an 83–78 win over the Sacramento Kings. He made his NBA regular-season debut on October 22, 2025, recording 11 points and five rebounds in a 136–117 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
Knueppel quickly established himself as one of the league’s top perimeter threats. After a 30-point game against the Miami Heat, he was nominated for Eastern Conference Player of the Week on November 9, 2025. Two days later, he logged a near triple-double with 19 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in a 121–111 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. On November 14, he scored a then-career-high 32 points in a 147–134 overtime loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, hitting two late three-pointers to force overtime. On November 19, he became the fastest NBA player to reach 50 made three-pointers, doing so in just 15 games. He was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for November, edging teammate Ryan Kalkbrenner and Philadelphia 76ers rookie V. J. Edgecombe.
Knueppel’s historic shooting pace continued throughout his rookie campaign. On December 22, 2025, he made his 100th career three-pointer in only his 29th game, surpassing Lauri Markkanen’s previous record by 12 games. On January 29, 2026, he erupted for a career-high 34 points with eight three-pointers in a 123–121 win over the Dallas Mavericks and fellow rookie Cooper Flagg, setting the Hornets’ rookie record for three-pointers in a single game. On February 24, 2026, he became the fastest NBA player to reach 200 career three-pointers, doing so in his 58th game and passing Duncan Robinson’s mark of 69 games. On February 26, he made his 207th three-pointer against the Indiana Pacers, surpassing Keegan Murray’s record for the most three-pointers by a rookie in NBA history. On April 2, 2026, he hit his 261st three-pointer in a 127–107 win over the Phoenix Suns, breaking Kemba Walker’s franchise mark for three-pointers in a season.
Kon II Knueppel closed the regular season with a league-leading 273 made three-pointers, becoming the first rookie in NBA history to lead the league in three-pointers made. He and teammate LaMelo Ball became the first duo since Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson to each make 270 or more three-pointers in a single season. He finished second in NBA Rookie of the Year voting behind Cooper Flagg and was selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
Driving Style and Strengths
Kon II Knueppel is best known as a high-volume, high-efficiency perimeter shooter who excels in catch-and-shoot situations and off movement. His 6 ft 6 in frame allows him to shoot over smaller defenders, and his quick release has made him a constant threat from beyond the arc. He also demonstrates mature playmaking vision for a young wing and has shown the ability to contribute as a rebounder and secondary ball-handler.
Notable Events and Milestones
Kon II Knueppel owns the NBA records for the fastest player to make 50, 100 and 200 career three-pointers. He holds the Charlotte Hornets franchise record for three-pointers made by a rookie in a single game, set on January 29, 2026, against the Dallas Mavericks, and the franchise’s single-season three-point record, set on April 2, 2026, against the Phoenix Suns. He is also the first rookie in NBA history to lead the league in three-pointers made in a season.
Kon Knueppel Career Wins
Kon II Knueppel has collected several major individual and team honors across his high school, college and professional career. He led Wisconsin Lutheran to the 2024 WIAA Boys Basketball Division 2 State Championship, earned Wisconsin Mr. Basketball honors that same year, and was a selection for the 2024 Jordan Brand Classic. At Duke, he won the 2025 ACC Tournament Championship and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
NBA and College Highlights
At Duke, Kon II Knueppel earned Second-team All-ACC and ACC All-Freshman Team recognition in 2025, along with ACC tournament MVP honors. In the NBA, he led the Charlotte Hornets to the 2025 NBA Summer League Championship and earned Summer League Championship MVP. He was twice nominated for Eastern Conference Player of the Week and was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for November 2025. He finished the season as runner-up for NBA Rookie of the Year and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2026.
Other Performances
Kon II Knueppel also posted a 30-point performance against the Miami Heat and recorded a near triple-double against the Los Angeles Lakers during his rookie season. His father and uncles Klint, Klay and Kole once competed as a team called the Flying Knueppel Brothers in the Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament.
Kon Knueppel Family
Family Background and Basketball Lineage
Kon II Knueppel comes from one of Wisconsin’s most storied basketball families. His father, Kon Knueppel Sr., set the all-time scoring record at Wisconsin Lutheran College, while his mother, Chari Knueppel (née Nordgaard), finished as the leading scorer at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. His uncle Jeff Nordgaard followed that same path at Wisconsin-Green Bay and went on to play for the Milwaukee Bucks and in professional leagues in Europe. His uncle Kole Knueppel now works as a college football referee in the Big Ten Conference.
Personal Life
Kon II Knueppel is the oldest of five brothers. His younger siblings are Kager, Kinston, Kash and Kidman. He is a practicing Christian who attended St. John’s Lutheran of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. During the Hornets’ first road trip to Milwaukee in his rookie season, he and his family hosted the entire Charlotte team for dinner at his childhood home.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 campaign marked Kon II Knueppel’s transition from a one-and-done star at Duke to an immediate contributor for the Charlotte Hornets. He opened the regular season on October 22, 2025, against the Brooklyn Nets and quickly set the tone for a rookie year defined by perimeter shooting. By mid-November, his scoring outbursts against the Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks had earned him back-to-back Eastern Conference Player of the Week nominations and the November Rookie of the Month award.
Knueppel continued to re-write the league record book through the winter. He broke the rookie record for three-pointers made by midseason and pushed his total past 200 before the All-Star break. Late-season games against the Dallas Mavericks, Indiana Pacers and Phoenix Suns produced three separate franchise or league records, cementing his standing as the most prolific rookie shooter in NBA history.
He closed the regular season with 273 made three-pointers and a runner-up finish for NBA Rookie of the Year, paired with All-Rookie First Team honors. With LaMelo Ball forming a high-volume backcourt duo, the Hornets built momentum heading into the offseason, and Knueppel’s historic rookie year positioned him as a foundational piece for Charlotte’s future.
