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Kon Knueppel Has Interesting Omission in All-Time NBA Lineup He Thinks Would Go 82-0

Did the Hornets' rookie get it right? One of the best players ever is not in his starting lineup.
Schuyler Callihan|
Jan 8, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Kon Knueppel (7) warms up before the game against the Indiana Pacers at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images
Jan 8, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Kon Knueppel (7) warms up before the game against the Indiana Pacers at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images | Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

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Charlotte Hornets

When a discussion is had about the greatest player or players of all-time, it doesn't get any more heated than in basketball. Most people would agree that Tom Brady is the G.O.A.T. in football. Babe Ruth in baseball. Wayne Gretzky in hockey. Jack Nicklaus in golf and so on.

But basketball? Oh boy, it can get straight up disrespectful because of how passionate fans are about Michael Jordan and LeBron James, but the discussion, for some, could even go as deep as Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

There have been so many legendary players in basketball over the years, so it's really hard to discredit any of them, as they are all worthy of being in the conversation. Of those mentioned, only one of those players failed to make the all-time NBA lineup that Charlotte Hornets rookie guard Kon Knueppel believes would go 82-0. The player? Magic Johnson.

He initially named Magic as his starting point guard before swapping him out for Steph Curry and then filling out the rest of the lineup with "(Michael Jordan) at the two, LeBron (James) at the three, Tim Duncan at the four, and Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar) at the five."

In Kon's defense, the lineup he put together would probably run through everyone en route to a perfect 82-0 record, so I don't completely disagree.

That said, Magic is, without question, at least in my opinion, the best point guard of all-time. Steph, on the other hand, is the greatest shooter of all-time. So instead of the typical Jordan vs. LeBron debate that gets brought up on a weekly or sometimes daily basis, this could spark another heated conversation.

Do you take Magic's ability to facilitate and play defense? Or do you take the best shooter planet Earth has ever seen? I'm not sure there is a wrong answer, to be honest. It's just interesting to see Kon's take on it and opt to take Steph after initially going with Magic at the one.

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Schuyler Callihan
SCHUYLER CALLIHAN

Schuyler Callihan is the publisher of West Virginia On SI and has been a trusted source covering the Mountaineers since 2016. He is the host of Between The Eers, The Walk Thru Game Day Show, and In the Gun Podcast. The Wheeling, WV native moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2020 to cover the Charlotte Hornets and Carolina Panthers.

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