Nowitzki tells Knuepel what his last name means in German

Knuppel could looks like the biggest competitor for rookie of the year award with Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks. And it was fully exposed in The Charlotte Hornets recent win over the Mavswhich came after both players posted career highs.

That was followed by a hilarious moment between Knuepel and none other than Dirk Nowitzki, who had a simple question for the 20-year-old rookie.

“Do you even know what your surname Knuppel means in German?” Nowitzki initially wanted to know, per clip posted on X by Oh No, it’s not.

“I don’t know,” the Hornets star replied, before Nowitzki himself explained.

Kon learns from Dirk what his last name means pic.twitter.com/ktF67gcPiR

— Oh no, it’s not (@ohnohedidnt24) January 31, 2026

“Oh, okay, it’s a bat. So you can hit somebody over the head with a cube. So you’ve got a lot of chatter. Well, congratulations,” he said.

Knuppel’s impact on the game extended far beyond his point total. Already among the league leaders in 3-pointers as a rookie, the 20-year-old wasted no time asserting himself, drilling four 3-pointers in the first quarter and forcing Dallas to adjust defensively from the opening minutes.

His eight 3-pointers on the night kept Charlotte afloat during Flegg’s historic surge and ultimately gave them the win. With the score tied in the final seconds, he made the calculated decision to double Flagg, anticipating the pass and deflecting it himself. Knueppel then sprinted forward in transition, absorbed contact from Flagg and calmly made two free throws with 4.1 seconds left, the streak that ultimately gave them the win.

Selected fourth overall, Knuepel not only validates the Hornets’ confidence in the draft, but also positions himself as a pillar of the franchise alongside the league’s brightest young talent. Regardless, the 20-year-old now finally knows what his name means in German, and he has the Mavericks legend to thank for that, despite being the main reason for the win.

The Hornets have also beaten the San Antonio Spurs since then, with Knuepel scoring 13 points and grabbing six rebounds.