Kon Knueppel

 

Kon Knueppel II (born March 8, 2006), pronounced “kohn kuh-NIP-ull,” is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Standing 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m) and weighing 217 pounds (98 kg), Knueppel plays shooting guard and small forward. He played one season of college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils before being selected by the Hornets with the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the highest-drafted former Wisconsin high school player in modern NBA history, surpassing Devin Harris (fifth overall in 2004).

 

Early Life 

Family

 

Knueppel was born on March 8, 2006, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, into one of basketball’s most accomplished families. His father, also named Kon Knueppel, scored over 2,000 career points at Wisconsin Lutheran College and was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame. His mother, Chari (née Nordgaard), is the all-time leading scorer at Wisconsin-Green Bay with 1,964 points. His uncle, Jeff Nordgaard, was selected 53rd overall in the 1996 NBA Draft and played 13 games for the Milwaukee Bucks before playing professionally overseas.

 

Knueppel is a Christian and attended St. John’s Lutheran Church of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. He is the oldest of five brothers, Kager, Kinston, Kash, and Kid. His father and uncles Klint, Klay, and Kole competed in the Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament as the “Flying Knueppel Brothers.”

 

High School Career

 

Knueppel attended Wisconsin Lutheran High School in Milwaukee, where he became one of the nation’s elite prospects. As a junior, he averaged 19.7 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. As a senior, Knueppel dominated, averaging 25.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 5.3 assists while shooting 59.4% from the field, 39.5% from three-point range, and 84.9% from the free-throw line.

 

He led Wisconsin Lutheran to an undefeated 30-0 record and the WIAA Division 2 state championship in 2024, recording 11 points, 11 assists, and five rebounds in the championship game. Knueppel finished his high school career as Wisconsin Lutheran’s all-time leader in points (1,978), rebounds (808), and assists (398). He was named 2024 Wisconsin Mr. Basketball, Wisconsin Associated Press Player of the Year, and Gatorade Wisconsin Player of the Year. He was rated as a five-star recruit, ranked No. 14 nationally by 247Sports and No. 22 by ESPN.

 

College Career

 

Knueppel enrolled at Duke University in June 2024 to participate in summer practices. In his freshman season (2024-25), he started all 39 games and averaged 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 47.9% from the field, 40.6% from three-point range, and 91.4% from the free-throw line. His free-throw percentage was the second-highest by a freshman in Duke history.

 

Knueppel earned ACC All-Freshman Team and All-ACC Second Team honors. On March 15, 2025, he was named ACC Tournament MVP after scoring 18 points with eight rebounds in Duke’s 73-62 championship victory over Louisville. Duke advanced to the Final Four, where they lost 70-67 to Houston in the semifinals. Knueppel declared for the NBA Draft following the season.

 

NBA Career

Charlotte Hornets (2025-Present) 

 

The Charlotte Hornets selected Knueppel fourth overall on June 25, 2025. He led the Hornets to the 2025 NBA Summer League Championship and was named Summer League Championship MVP, recording 21 points, five rebounds, and two assists in the 83-78 title game victory over Sacramento.

 

Knueppel made his NBA regular-season debut on October 22, 2025, scoring 11 points with five rebounds in a 136-117 win over Brooklyn. On November 9, he posted 19 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists (near triple-double) in a loss to the Lakers and was nominated for Eastern Conference Player of the Week. On January 29, 2026, Knueppel scored a career-high 34 points with eight three-pointers made, setting a Hornets rookie franchise record, in a 123-121 win over Dallas.

 

Through the 2025-26 season, Knueppel is averaging 18.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. He has hit five or more three-pointers in 15 games this season and has reached the 20-point mark in multiple consecutive games.

 

References

 

External Links

* Kon Knueppel on NBA.com

* Kon Knueppel on Basketball-Reference.com