Kon Knueppel Is Quietly Chasing NBA History in Charlotte
When the Charlotte Hornets took Kon Knueppel with the fourth pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, they knew they were getting a polished scorer with a high basketball IQ. What they might not have expected-at least this soon-was that the 20-year-old would be flirting with one of the most exclusive statistical clubs in NBA history just over halfway through his rookie season.
Knueppel has played in 53 of Charlotte’s 54 games so far, starting all but one. And while the Hornets stumbled out of the gate early in the season, they’ve found their rhythm since mid-January, stringing together a nine-game win streak before a recent loss to the Pistons snapped their momentum.
At the heart of that turnaround? Their rookie wing, who’s been as efficient as he’s been steady.
Let’s talk numbers. Knueppel is hovering just below the fabled 50/40/90 line-shooting 48.5% from the field, 42.8% from three, and 89.9% from the free-throw line.
Those percentages aren’t just good; they’re elite. And they’re inching dangerously close to territory that only nine players in NBA history have ever reached over a full season.
To put that in perspective, the 50/40/90 club includes some of the most precise shooters the league has ever seen: Larry Bird, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant-the list reads like a Hall of Fame roll call. And not one of them did it as a rookie.
That’s what makes Knueppel’s trajectory so compelling. He’s not just putting up nice numbers on a rebuilding team-he’s doing it with surgical efficiency, all while adjusting to the NBA’s pace, physicality, and defensive complexity.
It’s one thing to shoot well in college. It’s another to come into the league and maintain that level of shot-making against the best defenders in the world.
There’s still a long way to go-28 games, to be exact. And as any shooter will tell you, percentages can swing quickly.
A cold week can knock you out of contention for a statistical milestone like this. But Knueppel’s consistency so far suggests he’s not just riding a hot streak.
His mechanics are clean, his shot selection is smart, and he rarely forces the issue. That kind of discipline is rare, especially in a rookie.
Beyond the numbers, Knueppel’s impact has been felt in the way Charlotte plays. He spaces the floor, moves well off the ball, and makes the right reads. He’s not dominating the ball or hunting shots-he’s letting the game come to him, and the Hornets are better for it.
If he can maintain-or slightly improve-his shooting splits over the final stretch of the season, Knueppel could find himself in uncharted territory. No rookie has ever finished a season in the 50/40/90 club.
Not Luka. Not Dame.
Not even Steph. That’s the kind of history we’re talking about here.
And while the Hornets may still be a work in progress as a team, they’ve clearly found something special in Knueppel. Whether or not he hits the statistical benchmark, he’s already proving he belongs-and that Charlotte’s future might be brighter than people think.