Duke's Jon Scheyer reflects on Sion James and Kon Knueppel's early NBA success

Kon Knueppel and Sion James were billed as ‘NBA ready’ prospects. The pair of former Duke Blue Devils were seen by many draft prognosticators as the types of players that can make an early impact at the NBA level with their size, smarts, and refined skill sets.

Their current head coach, Charles Lee, knows that he owes some of their pro-ready talents and mindsets to their former head coach at Duke, Jon Scheyer.

"You know, Coach (Jon) Scheyer might as well be on the staff. He did such a heck of a job laying a foundation with those guys. I owe him a lot."

🎙️ Charles Lee on former @DukeMBB standouts Kon Knueppel and Sion James:

"You know, Coach (Jon) Scheyer might as well be on the staff. He did such a heck of a job laying a foundation with those guys. I owe him a lot."

"Both of them are just about team basketball and winning." pic.twitter.com/zsp9iqP4YX
— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) November 3, 2025

The pair of rookies have been impressive to start their NBA careers, and the man who coached them to the Final Four last season has appreciated the early returns on both Knueppel and James.

After Duke took down Texas in their 2025-26 season opener at the Hornets’ home, the Spectrum Center, I got a minute with Coach Scheyer and asked about his two former players that were selected by Charlotte, and he bounced the praise for their development back to Coach Lee and the newest Hornets themselves.

'I think he deserves the credit for how he's bringing them along. And obviously, ultimately, Kon and Sion, their approach, their professionalism, and the fact that they're so competitive, and so smart, to me, is why they're going to be in the league for a long time.

The links between the Hornets and Duke continue to strengthen.

After Gabe Plotkin and Rich Schnall purchased the Hornets from Michael Jordan, the color of the franchise’s preferred in-state college team took on a darker hue.

Not only did the Hornets select two Duke Blue Devils in the 2025 NBA Draft, they also spent their preseason training camp in Durham ahead of the 2024-25 NBA season. On the opening day of Charlotte's training camp last fall, the first with Lee at the helm, he pointed to Duke's success as the model for what he wants to bring to Charlotte.

'We’re in the process of building something really special, and we get to do it in one of the most accomplished buildings in college basketball history,' said Charlotte's head coach. “You talk about consistency and being obsessed with daily improvement, say what you want to say, there are a lot of banners up here. Let’s set some standards today.'

As the bonds between Charlotte and Duke continue to grow, the hope is that the relationship will continue to be symbiotic. The Hornets return to the Spectrum Center to take on another Duke legend, JJ Redick, and the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night, and the Blue Devils hope to return to the Hive in March with a shot at taking home their second-straight ACC Championship.

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