KOn Knueppel may not have the same cache as his former Duke teammate, Cooper Flagg, who is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. Nevertheless, Knueppel can boast about being the favorite player of at least one passionate basketball fan, which is no small feat when you consider that fan is Bill Simmons.
Bill Simmons Loves Kon Knueppel
Simmons publicly declared his admiration for Knueppel in the most recent edition of his “Bill Simmons Podcast.” However, his predilection for Knueppel is not based solely on his virtues on the court.
“I just want to say he’s my favorite in this draft, just because I like him, because he’s a listener,” Simmons said. “So shout out to him. He listens. There’s a picture of him reading my book when he’s like eight years old. So he’s not now my favorite player in the draft because I’m selfish.”
Simmons and his podcast guests predict that the Utah Jazz will select Knueppel as the No. 5 overall pick. Not to mention, both J. Kyle Mann and Joe House praised his exceptional performance in NCAA basketball.
“He’s an awesome player…” Mann said. “He has great size. They need passing, and they need shooting, and he is going to be a great fit in that sense.”
“I’m super in on him,” House added. “He can play basketball. He’s a hooper. I love that he’s always trying to get to the paint. He’s not, like, dilly-dallying out here, ‘let me see…’ No. Man’s going downhill. He’s trying to get to the paint. He’s welcoming the contact. He’s got that big body, 6’7’’, 220 [pounds]. That’s a baller.”
“And, you know, his instincts, in terms of offensive, rebounding…I just felt like he was always around the basket when Duke needed a hand on a ball.”
Similar to his former teammate Flagg, Knueppel only needed one season of college basketball to prove that he was ready for the highest level of competition. The 19-year-old guard was an unquestioned starter for the Blue Devils, playing from the beginning in all 39 games he appeared and averaging 30.5 minutes per game.
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His career records included 14.4 points, 4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. He shot 47.9% on two-point shots, an outstanding 40.6% from the perimeter, and an off-the-charts 91.4% on free throws.
The renowned podcaster and sportswriter has a net worth of $100 million, largely thanks to his career at ESPN and other media outlets.
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