One moment, Kon Knueppel is witnessing his state win the NBA title and in the next one, he is facing off and impressing the guy that lead them to basketball glory.
The Charlotte Hornets rookie is a Wisconsin native and was 15 years old when the Milwaukee Bucks won the 2021 NBA championship led by Giannis Antetokounmpo who scored 50 points in the title-clinching game. His mother said he grew up watching the Greek Freak and the Bucks.
Antetokounmpo dropped by during the Knueppel’s practice session for the Rising Stars game and the Three-Point contest and showed him with praises.
Their conversation started when Giannis brought up a time he saw a video of Knueppel talking about how to guard him. He was amazed that a rookie figured out his move.
“You’re probably one of the smartest rookies I’ve ever seen play the game… one of the most competitive players that I’ve seen as a rookie,” the two-time MVP said.
“You already got it, and you’re only gonna get better.”
“You’re probably one of the smartest rookies I’ve ever seen.” 💯
Giannis showed love to Milwaukee native Kon Knueppel during NBA All-Star! pic.twitter.com/VV82bgtvsy
— #NBAAllStar (@NBAAllStar) February 17, 2026
Kon Knueppel calls moment awesome
Knueppel, who for most of the season is neck-to-neck with former Duke teammate and no. 1 pick Cooper Flagg in the rookie race, was appreciative of the talk he had with Antetokoumpo.
“It’s awesome. I mean being from Milwaukee, he’s done so much for the city,” the 20-year-old said in the video.
The 2025 fourth overall pick is showing off in his rookie year, breaking records here and there with his three-point shooting. Even Charles Barkley is taking notice.
The Hornets are surprising everyone this season and Knueppel is a huge part of that. They recorded a nine-game winning streak and many of their wins came from supposed contenders like the Houston Rockets and the San Antonio Spurs.
They also recorded huge wins against the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets, both on the road.
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