Kon Knueppel

Kon Knueppel is a professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the NBA. Knueppel played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils and was drafted fourth overall in the NBA Draft by the Hornets. His path to the professional ranks included a standout high school career, where he averaged 26.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game as a senior, earning the Wisconsin Mr. Basketball title and leading Wisconsin Lutheran to the Boys Basketball Division 2 State Championship with a 30–0 record. He was also named the Gatorade Wisconsin Player of the Year, averaging 25.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game while shooting 59.4 percent from the field.

At Duke, Knueppel played alongside Cooper Flagg and Khaman Maluach for one season, averaging 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.0 steals in 30.5 minutes per game. The Blue Devils' season ended after a loss to Houston in the Final Four. Knueppel was named ACC Tournament MVP after scoring 18 points and grabbing eight rebounds in Duke's 73–62 victory over Louisville in the ACC championship game. He led the ACC in free throw percentage at 91.4 percent, the second-highest mark for a freshman in Duke history, and earned All-ACC Second Team and ACC All-Rookie Team honors.

During his NBA rookie season, Knueppel led the league with 273 made three-pointers, becoming the first rookie to lead the NBA in three-pointers made in a season. He set records for the fastest to 100 and 200 career three-pointers, reaching those milestones in his 29th and 58th games, respectively. Knueppel connected on 42.5 percent of his three-point attempts on 7.9 attempts per game, establishing himself as one of the league's top perimeter shooters. He and teammate LaMelo Ball became the first duo since Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson to each record more than 270 three-pointers in a season. Knueppel is one of just three rookies in NBA history to average 15 or more points, five or more rebounds, and shoot 40 percent from three-point range.

Knueppel's debut season concluded with a close Rookie of the Year race against former Duke teammate Cooper Flagg, with Flagg winning the award by a narrow margin. Knueppel was named a Rookie of the Year finalist after his record-setting season. His combination of shooting ability, basketball intelligence, and on-court impact has established him as a prominent young player in the NBA.