What stands out isn’t just the total – it’s the efficiency. Kon Knueppel is shooting 44.2% from threewith 209 made threes, the highest total in the entire NBA this season.
Nearly all of them come within the team concept: 93% of his threes are assisted. A detail that says plenty about his role in head coach Charles Lee’s offensive system and his on-court chemistry with LaMelo Ball. Off-ball movement, smart spacing reads, lightning-quick release – he’s a pure shooter, but within structure.
After the game, Knueppel downplayed the achievement with ease:
It’s just about making the right play. My teammates free me up well with screens, the coaches put me in the best spots. I’m just trying to make the right decision for the team.
Could Knueppel
And on the record-breaking shot:
Honestly, I thought I was at six, not seven. I didn’t realize the magnitude of the moment.
Could Knueppel
From the Curry Comparison to the Rookie of the Year Race
The all-time single-season NBA record remains far away – Stephen Curry’s 402 threes – but the comparison offers perspective. As a rookie, Curry made 166 threes in 80 games. Knueppel has already surpassed 200, doing so on 473 attempts with an accuracy that has drawn attention across the league.
Curry himself noted:
You can’t leave him open for a second. He’s got a super quick release and shoots with a lot of confidence. And his playmaking is underrated.
Stephen Curry
Donovan Mitchell – third on the all-time rookie three-point list – also highlighted a less obvious aspect:
We know he can shoot, but his midrange game and his short-roll pick-and-roll reads are really interesting. He knows how to create advantages.
Donovan Mitchell
The Rookie of the Year race currently has him neck-and-neck with Cooper Flaggthe No. 1 overall pick of the Dallas Mavericks and his former college roommate.
Hornets Playoff Push: The Knueppel Effect
Beyond the individual numbers, there’s a collective impact. The Charlotte Hornets haven’t reached the NBA playoffs since the 2015-16 season. Now, they are firmly in the race.
Coach Charles Lee described the effect of his rookie this way:
When you have a talent like that without ego, the entire culture of the franchise rises. It becomes contagious.
Charles Lee
Knueppel developed by playing from a young age against older competition in his father’s men’s league in Milwaukee. Today, that comfort with physicality and quick decision-making translates into mature reads and perfect spacing.
He’s not just a shooter. He’s a game multiplier.
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