New sensation Kon Knuppel will participate in the 3-point competition

Entering the 2025-26 NBA campaign, Cooper Flagg should have been the clear winner for Rookie of the Year and Charlotte Hornets they should have missed the playoffs. Both of these things may be true for the remainder of the season, but thanks to Kon Knuepel, they are not certain. The 20-year-old goalscorer has been a great addition to the league, using his clean move to mesmerize fans and achieve an extraordinary history. He is quickly gaining national exposure, and there could be more to come. Knueppel will compete in the 3-point contest, per NBA Insider Chris Haynes.

The main part of All-Star weekend usually involves a large number of participants, unlike the dunk contest, so it’s quite notable to see the Hornets wing entering his first NBA season. Fans will get a better idea of ​​who the favorite is once the field fills out, but Knuepel should be a contender. He is scoring 18.7 points per contest while shooting 42.5 percent from 3-point range, ranking third in 3-pointers and 19th in 3-point shooting percentage.

What Kon Knuepel is doing for the Hornets

A top-five draft pick doesn’t exactly creep up on people, but Knuepel is shattering expectations through 50 games. Most importantly, his excellent marksmanship brings Charlotte closer to the light at the end of the tunnel. After a seemingly endless renovation, red-hot hornets (23-28) show new life after seven consecutive victories. They are just one game behind the Chicago Bulls for the final spot in the NBA Play-In tournament.

Conn Knuepel joins LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller in forming one of the most exciting young cores in the Eastern Conference. The rookie’s meteoric rise may have people rethinking how they perceive one of the most successful organizations in American professional sports. However, he cannot get ahead of himself.

Knuppel obviously wants to help finish Charlotte’s grueling reconstruction project, but he also has to make sure she enjoys all of these important moments. Shooting at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles during NBA All-Star Saturday is the kind of surreal experience to be cherished.