The Charlotte Hornets selected Duke freshman Kon Knueppel with the No. 4 overall pick in the NBA Draft, amid rumors that they might have been looking to trade down. But that No. 4 was significant for another reason as well. Kon Knueppel has four brothers, and he shared a touching moment with all of them after the Hornets selected him in the 2025 NBA Draft.

“It’s such a blessing from God to be able to enter the NBA, but to be able to share it with your family, it’s beyond comprehension,” Knueppel said. “It’s such a special moment for us and for me.”

Kon Knueppel is the oldest of the five brothers, and each of them play basketball as well. Knueppel was a star at Wisconsin Lutheran High School, and two of his brothers currently play for the team. Both of Knueppel’s parents played basketball as well.

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Coming into the NBA Draft, there were rumors that the Hornets potential interest in Knueppel wasn’t as strong as initially believed, but come draft night he was their man. Knueppel gives the Hornets another option on the wing alongside LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges and Brandon Miller.

This past season, Knueppel played alongside several other potential NBA draft picks at Duke including No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg and Khaman Maluach. He appeared in 39 games, all starts, at a little over 30 minutes per game. He averaged 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.0 steals with splits of 47.9 percent shooting from the field, 40.6 percent shooting from the three-point line and 91.4 percent shooting from the free-throw line.

This past season, the Hornets missed the playoffs for the ninth consecutive year, amid the first season of Charles Lee at the helm as head coach. The last time they were in the postseason was the 2015-16 season. Knueppel will be part of a young core tasked with trying to bring winning basketball to the Hornets.