Kon Knueppel's Insane Rookie Year Now Puts Him in a Club with Larry Bird, Steph Curry

Kon Knueppel is doing unthinkable things in his rookie year with the Charlotte Hornets, just flat out obliterating every expectation that was thrown out there during the pre-draft process.

Following his 21-point performance in a dominating 32-point win over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday, he joined an elite exclusive club. He became just the third player in NBA history to record 1,000 points, 300 rebounds, 200 assists, and shoot 40% from three in his rookie season. Now, of course, he'll have to hang onto that shooting mark in the final 23 games to officially join that club, but odds are, he will. As a matter of fact, we could see his 43.6% mark rise considering how red-hot he's been.

Feb 22, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel (7) takes a shot during the second half against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

It seems like not all that long ago, the consensus feeling was that the Hornets made the "safe pick" by choosing Knueppel fourth overall, rather than taking the long, athletic Ace Bailey. I personally never liked the fit of Bailey in Charlotte, but I was of the thinking that falling to fourth in the lottery would be a huge letdown for the Hornets' rebuild.

Never once did I see Knueppel turning into a budding superstar before our very eyes as quickly as he has. No one did, and that includes those in the front offices of San Antonio and Philadelphia who passed up on him for Dylan Harper and VJ Edgecombe.

I believe we all just kind of bought into this idea that he would be a three-point specialist and only a three-point specialist. He's proven to be far more than that. He can playmake, stick his nose in the fan to get tough rebounds, and defend at a respectable level. The speed and the athleticism don't jump off the charts, but the advanced IQ and smart decision-making more than make up for it.

Another indicator of how special this season has been for Knueppel is this list that Esfandiar Baraheni of The Athletic pointed out, made up of players who average north of 15 points per game on 60+% true shooting and a 22+% usage rate.

It’s crazy that Kon Knueppel is having one of the most efficient rookie scoring seasons in NBA history.

Rookies that have averaged 15+ points on 60+% TS and 22+% USG:

Kon Knueppel
Zion Williamson

That’s the list.

Reduce it to 20+% USG and it’s Kon, big men and Magic. pic.twitter.com/R8rChIXk9D
— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) February 26, 2026

What we are witnessing from Kon may never be matched, at least by a rookie. It's been an incredible season, and the scary thing is, he's just getting his feet wet in the league.

Knueppel and the Hornets take on the Indiana Pacers tonight, and with five made threes, he'll tie the all-time rookie record for most threes in a season, previously set by Keegan Murray.