In a matchup that had all the makings of a Rookie of the Year showcase, Kon Knueppel made sure his name stayed front and center in the conversation - and he did it by lighting it up from deep.
Facing off against his former Duke teammate and current ROY frontrunner Cooper Flagg, Knueppel delivered his most electric performance of the season, dropping 34 points and drilling eight threes to lead the Charlotte Hornets to a thrilling 123-121 win over the Dallas Mavericks. It wasn’t just a personal statement - it was a franchise-shaking night.
Knueppel’s eight triples didn’t just help the Hornets edge out a tough Mavericks squad. They etched his name into the team’s record books.
According to the Hornets' PR team, those eight made threes set a new franchise record for most in a single game, breaking a mark previously shared by five different players - including Knueppel himself, who hit seven earlier this season on November 23. With that performance, he also cracked the top 10 for most threes made by a rookie in NBA history.
After the game, Knueppel reflected on what it meant to go head-to-head with Flagg - not just as competitors, but as former teammates who once battled side-by-side at Duke.
“That was really fun, obviously,” Knueppel said. “He's playing at a really high level, and he played a heck of a game against us.
Kon Knueppel on what it's like battling fellow rookie and former Duke teammate Cooper Flagg in the ROTY race 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/VnV1ZXMkOa
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But it's always good to compete against him. It kind of brought me back to practice at Duke a little bit, and it was really great to see him.”
As for any on-court trash talk or Rookie of the Year banter? Not much of that - at least not yet.
“Not really,” Knueppel said when asked if the ROY race came up between the two. “We talked a little bit before the game.
We were talking about maybe catching up over the All-Star break. I'll catch him out there for Rising Stars.
Maybe head over to Duke for a game. So, not really a whole lot of banter about it.
We didn't get to really talk after the game, really disappointing.”
While Flagg has been the consensus favorite for Rookie of the Year for much of the season, Knueppel is building a serious case of his own - and he’s doing it with one of the league’s most lethal jumpers. He’s currently third in the NBA in total three-pointers made (162), trailing only Stephen Curry (175) and Donovan Mitchell (172). That’s elite company for any player, let alone a rookie.
Knueppel’s shooting numbers are eye-popping across the board: 18.8 points per game on 48.6% shooting from the field, including a blistering 42.7% from three on 7.7 attempts per game. Add in 5.4 rebounds a night, and you’ve got a rookie who’s not just filling a role - he’s shaping the Hornets’ identity.
This duel with Flagg was just a preview of what’s to come. Both rookies are set to take the national stage again during All-Star Weekend as part of the Rising Stars competition. And while the ROY race is far from over, Knueppel’s message was clear: he’s not just in the conversation - he’s helping to redefine it.
And on a night when LaMelo Ball quietly crossed the 2,000-career assist mark, it was the rookie sharpshooter who stole the spotlight. In a season where the Hornets are still figuring out who they are, Kon Knueppel is making it clear who he is - a record-setting, lights-out shooter with a whole lot more to prove.