Charlotte Hornets forward Kon Knueppel revealed his all-time "perfect team."
Charlotte Hornets forward Kon Knueppel recently revealed his all-time "perfect team."
The Duke product went with Stephen Curry, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Tim Duncan and Victor Wembanyama.
Curry is the greatest shooter in NBA history, Jordan and James are universally recognized as the greatest players of all time, Duncan is the best power forward ever and Wembanyama is an alien who affects both sides of the floor like no one in the game has ever before.
It's safe to say that a starting five of Curry, Jordan, James, Duncan and Wembanyama would never lose a game, especially if we are getting the prime versions of Curry, Jordan, James and Duncan.
Maybe one day some player will use Knueppel in his all-time "perfect team." Even though Knueppel didn't win the 2025-26 Rookie of the Year award, he still had a special season for the Hornets. The swingman averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game and shot 47.5% from the field, 42.5% from 3 and 86.3% from the free-throw line. He led the NBA in 3-pointers.
Knueppel claimed the first four Rookie of the Month awards last season, becoming the first Hornet ever to win the award four times.
Here is what else Knueppel accomplished last season, via the Hornets:
- At age 20, became the only player in NBA history age 22 or younger to record 250 3PM in a season against New York (March 26).
- Passed Jordan for the NBA rookie record for most games with 20+ points on 65% true shooting (27) against Miami (March 6) in his then-rookie-leading 14th 25-point game.
- Set an NBA rookie record for 3-pointers made in a season (207) with a career-high-tying and franchise-rookie-record-tying 8 3PM at Indiana (Feb. 26); Knueppel tied his own franchise rookie record.
- Set a new NBA record for most games with 5+ 3PM by a rookie with 14 at Atlanta (Feb. 7).
- Broke the rookie record for most games with 20+ points on 50/40/90 shooting splits (12) against Golden State (Dec. 31), previously set by Curry.
- Knueppel is one of three rookies in NBA history (min. 25 games played) to average 15 points and 5 rebounds per game and shoot 40% from 3-point range; the other two are Larry Bird and Paul Pierce.
Knueppel and Brandon Miller are Charlotte's new franchise players after the LaMelo Ball trade.
The Hornets traded Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves this summer.
Charlotte is widely expected to start Coby White, Miller, Knueppel, Naz Reid and Moussa Diabaté next season.
It will be fascinating to see if the Hornets can make the playoffs in Year 1 of the post-Ball era.
