Liam McNeeley says Summer League and a full NBA season helped build his confidence as he enters Year 2 with the Charlotte Hornets.
Liam McNeeley met with reporters after a Charlotte Hornets practice Sunday, five days after Charlotte opened training camp at The Citadel in Charleston, S.C., and two days before its first preseason game.
McNeeley was the 29th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft out of UConn. He appeared in 31 games for Charlotte as a rookie and averaged 4.3 points in 11.9 minutes.
McNeeley spent part of that season in Greensboro. The Hornets sent him to the Greensboro Swarm, their G League affiliate, on multiple assignments between December and March, and he was with the Swarm for the postseason.
On April 10 in Stockton, Calif., he scored 21 points as Greensboro beat the Stockton Kings 119-104 to finish a two-game sweep in the G League Finals. It was the first G League title in Swarm history.
In Charlotte's Summer League opener on July 9, McNeeley scored 28 points and shot 7-of-8 from 3-point range in an 86-74 win over the Orlando Magic. He averaged 21.7 points in Las Vegas, and the league named him to the All-Summer League Second Team. Charlotte lost its next four games and finished 1-4.
McNeeley Says Summer League Helped Build His Confidence
Aggressive, for McNeeley, means looking for his own shot and making plays for others.
"I'd say my aggressiveness and my confidence," McNeeley said. "Summer League and this offseason has really helped my confidence. I put a lot of work in and that's given me the confidence to be aggressive and [look for] my shot and play-make for others."
"And then just having a year under your belt makes a huge difference," McNeeley continued. "Going into your rookie year you don't know what it takes, you don't know what it's like; now I feel comfortable."
Charlotte acquired Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale from Phoenix on July 13. Allen made 27 starts for the Suns last season and averaged 17.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in those games. O'Neale is 33, and the Hornets have until Oct. 19 to sign him to an extension. Pat Connaughton is also on the 21-man camp roster.
Veterans Are Helping McNeeley Through Camp
Two forwards are recovering from injuries. Kon Knueppel and Grant Williams traveled to Charleston while rehabbing hamstring injuries, and WSOC-TV reported that neither is expected to play in the preseason. Knueppel averaged 18.5 points in 81 games as a rookie and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting.
McNeeley said camp practices were physical all week, with players talking trash to each other.
"Off the court everybody's super close," McNeeley explained. "We hang out, we play cards, we watch football. Like I said about training camp, when we're on the court, we're going at each other. But even when we're on different teams like Pat and Royce, Grayson, they're all giving me tips. They've all been great vets."
Coby White came to Charlotte in a Feb. 4 trade with Chicago. He averaged 15.6 points in 21 games for the Hornets and re-signed in July on a three-year, $74 million contract.
On June 25, Charlotte agreed to trade LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Naz Reid and draft compensation, and White moved into the starting point guard job.
Coby White Stands Out as a Vocal Leader
Hornets coach Charles Lee said The Citadel's gym layout, with three courts, was one of the main reasons the team held camp there. Lee is entering his third season, and he has said he wants White to push his assist numbers up.
"I thought the communication in practice today was high level," Lee told WSOC-TV after the first practice on Sept. 29. "We've created an environment where it's safe for guys to not only give feedback, but everyone receives it really well, too."
The obstacle course McNeeley ran with Citadel cadets during camp was harder than it looks.
"We've brought in great leaders," McNeeley said. "Coby White has been super vocal. I'd say he was a standout for the vocalness in training camp. We did an obstacle course with the Citadel cadets, and he was leading his team. It was impressive."
Charlotte hosts the Brooklyn Nets at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday. The Hornets also host the Milwaukee Bucks before road games at the Boston Celtics and Memphis Grizzlies, the last of them on Oct. 16.
The regular season opens Oct. 21 in Brooklyn.
The Hornets have until Nov. 2 to exercise team options on McNeeley, Knueppel, and Tidjane Salaün.
