Kon Knueppel Has Already Made An Impression On Charlotte Fans
All he had to do was bleed a bit.
Former Duke star Kon Knueppel made a big impression on Duke fans and now he’s in the process of doing the same in Charlotte.
It’s hard for a lot of people to remember, but once upon a time, Charlotte was a hot franchise with an identity. The Bugs had Muggsy Bogues, Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning and looked like they were on the way.
George Shinn kind of blew his credibility with the fanbase then moved his team to New Orleans.
The NBA gave Charlotte another team, which was called the Bobcats, but in 2015, the team became the Hornets again.
The glory days were long gone though and Charlotte has been a cup of weak tea for a long time. Michael Jordan owned it but wasn’t able to make them competitive and in 2023, he sold the team to Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall.
They do seem to be getting better under the new owners and this summer’s draft was well managed. Charlotte picked up Knueppel with the fourth pick, which was seen by some as an overreach. However, Knueppel is smart and fiercely competitive and in Summer League play, he didn't let a head wound keep him out of the championship game.
In other words, even though he’s just a rookie, Knueppel has already shown significant leadership. He still has questions to answer, but clearly, he has a chance to emerge as an important player that the Hornets can build around.