Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel received a pleasant surprise during a recent interview with Taylor Rooks for Bleacher Report. Knueppel has stated in the past that he hopes to model his game after Klay Thompson’s and received a special message from the Dallas Mavericks star, via Rooks.
“Just wanted to wish you well, and thanks for the words of trying to model your game after me,” Thompson said. “It makes me feel kind of old, but also very appreciative of great young athletes like yourself who are coming to take over the league and carry on the torch of what we started.
“And what you and Cooper [Flagg] did last season and the rest of the guys, incredible run,” Thompson stated. “Especially for a bunch of freshmen, that’s unheard of, really. Some Fab 5 stuff. I’m just excited for your next chapter in the league. Never lose that confidence that got you here, especially when shooting the basketball.
“And I heard you aspire to be a two-way player,” Thompson continued. “That’s something I prided myself on for a long time. I can still guard now, don’t think my days of guarding are long gone. I can still get out there and switch onto a point guard or the four-man if I have to.
“Enjoy your rookie year as much as you can because it will go by faster than you can blink an eye,” Thompson added. “So, be well, brother.”
That was beautiful. The Hornets selected Knueppel with the fourth pick in the 2025 NBA Draft after an impressive season at Duke. The 19-year-old averaged 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game as a freshman and helped the Blue Devils reach the Final Four.
Knueppel has now impressed during the Summer League as well. Over his last two games, he averaged 17.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.5 blocks while shooting 46.1% from beyond the arc.
Knueppel is a deadly shooter, but still has some ways to go before he becomes the kind of elite two-way player that Thompson was at his peak. Defense is a concern when it comes to the teenager, but he does have plenty of time to work on that.
Getting back to Thompson’s message, it meant a lot to Knueppel to hear those words. Rooks asked him if he had a message he wanted relayed to the five-time All-Star, and he did.
“I don’t know if I should say that,” Knueppel said. “I loved when he did the big ball celebration. Tell him that, because that was awesome. That’s what he has, he’s got cojones… Tell him he’s the best off-ball mover ever. He’s better than Steph [Curry], in my opinion.”
Thompson famously did the celebration during the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors. Confidence is something he certainly hasn’t lacked in his career.
Thompson averaged 14.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game for the Mavericks in 2024-25. The season ended in disappointment as they missed the playoffs, but that led to them winning the Draft Lottery and selecting Knueppel’s former Duke teammate Cooper Flagg with the first pick.
It’s going to be a special day when Knueppel faces off against Thompson and Flagg for the first time next season.
