The Charlotte Hornets gave their long-running rebuild its clearest proof-of-concept moment yet on Thursday night, with rookie Kon Knueppel breaking the franchise's single-season rookie three-point record previously held by Kemba Walker in a win over the Phoenix Suns at Spectrum Center. The record did not arrive cleanly. Knueppel, a candid self-critic, admitted he had spent most of the night missing the kinds of looks he usually buries before the ball finally kicked back to him on the possession that counted.
"I was a little disappointed because I had two really clean looks off of a good pass from Seion and a nice kick-out from Musa after a good offensive rebound," Knueppel said after the game. "But that last one Grant kicked out to me, it felt good."
The rookie revealed a small piece of pregame theatre that gave the milestone its flavour: Kemba Walker himself had reached out to encourage the chase.
"He told me before the game, he's like, 'Man, let's go get this one tonight,'" Knueppel recalled. "Because of the previous two games, I had one three combined. But I told him a couple days ago that he should have shot more threes. Wasn't shooting enough threes when he was playing."
Head coach Charles Lee shared in the moment while carefully acknowledging the franchise icon whose name had just been displaced on the leaderboard.
"Kon, extremely happy for him. Well-deserved honour," Lee said. "The team didn't like that I said Kemba after. But love Kemba, love the standard and the bar he set. It was really cool obviously to see Kon throughout the year continue to just get better and better."
Knueppel has framed his breakout season as something even he did not fully expect. He entered the pre-season unsure of where his game sat, only to find comfort once live contact began.
"In the offseason, I didn't feel like I was playing that great," he said. "Maybe the coaches disagree, or the other players disagree, but I didn't feel like I was playing that great. Once we got to camp, I just felt like I belonged. I felt good about how we played together, and so I thought I'd have an opportunity to really contribute this year. I think maybe I've surpassed my own expectations."
Lee credited the Hornets' scouting department for a class he argues is performing above its experience level.
"It's a really special rookie class. Our front office has done a great job again identifying the right talent, the right people to bring in here, that are obsessed with daily improvement," Lee said. "The way they carry themselves and handle their business, it's at a very veteran level early on, which is great to see."
The Hornets coach also pointed to the building energy around the team as a factor in their recent surge, saying the home crowd has turned Spectrum Center into a real playing advantage for a young roster still learning how to finish games.
"We're super appreciative that we get to play in front of some of the best fans in the NBA," Lee said. "It's definitely becoming more and more of a homecourt advantage."
For Knueppel, the record does not feel like an endpoint. As for Walker, the long-range nudge from the Hornets' career scoring leader carried its own weight.
"Especially with the team success, it's been real fun to enjoy some of that individual success as well," Knueppel said. "Really turning this thing around."
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*Originally published on [NBA News Global](https://nbanews.global/article/knueppel-breaks-kemba-hornets-rookie-three-point-record-2026). Visit for full coverage.*
