The Charlotte Hornets already know they have one of the best shooters in the NBA in rookie guard Kon Knueppel. The rest of the league got to witness that first-hand at the 2026 3-Point Contest.

Knueppel is the only rookie in the 2026 shootout and represented himself well in the first round. The 20-year-old put up 27 points in his first-ever 3-Point competition to take an early lead and punch his ticket to the final round.

Knueppel's 27 points were only bested by Devin Booker, who took the lead in the first round with 30 points. Damian Lillard also posted 27 points to join the final trio. Lillard went on to win the contest with a 29-point championship round.

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Knueppel entered the All-Star break hitting 43.1 percent of his three-point attempts. He has been consistent from deep all season long, connecting on over 40 percent of his long-distance shots in all but one month this season.

Knueppel's 183 three-pointers made before the All-Star break are second in the league, two behind Donovan Mitchell. The rookie was off to a scorching hot start to February before the break, averaging 4.6 triples per game in his last five outings.

Had Knueppel won the contest, he would have been the first rookie to do so in NBA history. Stephen Curry, Kyle Kover, Dennis Scott and Lillard all participated as rookies, but none claimed the victory.

Despite the rookie curse, Knueppel was the odds-on favorite to win the contest. Even with a strong second-round performance, he likely would have still fallen to Lillard, who clinched his third 3-Point Contest crown.