Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel drained 6 of 10 3 pointers on Thursday against the New York Knicks. The sweet-shooting guard entered the game with 247 triples, the most by a player aged 22 or under. A clip of Knueppel pushing his tally to 250, the youngest in NBA history to hit that mark, prompted fans to react.
One fan wrote:
“Dude is on his way to take Steph Curry’s place.”
Another fan added:
“Kon Knueppel might just be better than Cooper Flagg.”
One more fan continued:
“He’s on path for the exclusive 4K club, perhaps.”
Another fan commented:
“And we thought Curry record couldn’t be touched.”
One fan tweeted:
“The next Larry Bird!!!”
Keegan Murray, who had 206 3-pointers during his 2022-23 rookie campaign, previously held the record. Knueppel broke it late in February against the Indiana Pacers when the former Duke star went 8 for 12 from deep to improve his tally to 207. He was the only player in the NBA this season to have over 200 3-pointers when he broke Murray’s mark.
Kon Knueppel’s six triples against the Knicks increased his tally for the season to 253, 11 more than the second-placed Luka Doncic. The LA Lakers superstar is trailing the rookie despite attempting 97 more shots. Charlotte’s emerging star is making 43.4% of his tries from that range, eighth-best in the NBA.
Fans couldn’t help but compare Kon Knueppel to Steph Curry, the all-time leader in 3-point field goals. However, the Golden State Warriors point guard never hit over 200 3-pointers in his first three NBA seasons.
Curry was 24 during the 2012-13 season when he topped the NBA with 272 3-pointers. The 20-year-old Knueppel has eight games left to tie or eclipse that tally.
Kon Knueppel Shows off Versatility, Helps Hornets End Knicks’ 7-Game Winning Run
Kon Knueppel caused havoc not just with his shooting against the New York Knicks. The rookie contributed to the Charlotte Hornets’ win with 26 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. Knueppel routinely punished the Knicks’ attention to him by setting up his teammates with timely passes. He wasn’t just the Hornets’ deadliest gunner, the 6-foot-6 guard was also their most efficient set-up guy.
Knueppel also made his presence felt on the defensive end. Knicks captain Jalen Brunson had 26 points on 10-for-23 shooting, but went 0-for-6 from deep. Knueppel helped contain the All-Star guard after Brunson started on fire.
Charlotte’s win snapped New York’s seven-game winning run and improved its record to 39-34 to move up to No. 9 in the Eastern Conference standings.
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