Charlotte Hornets guard/forward Kon Knueppel, right, drives to the basket for a shot over Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas, left, during action on Wednesday, October 22, 2025 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
In case many weren’t aware, which was understandable given the curiosity that undoubtedly engulfed many patrons with Spectrum Center’s renovations complete, the video board and public address announcer Shawn Parker made it clear.
This collection isn’t the Charlotte Hornets of old.
Quite the opposite, in fact.
Listening to the roar of delight when rookie Kon Knueppel was introduced as a member of the Hornets’ starting five and the continued excitement seconds later when Ryan Kalkbrenner’s name was unveiled cemented that. The Hornets believe they are on a path to changing the franchise’s culture, and Knueppel and Kalkbrenner should play pivotal roles after combining for 21 points and 16 rebounds in Wednesday night’s 136-117 win over the Brooklyn Nets in front of a sellout crowd of 19,514.
“It’s awesome,” Kalkbrenner told The Observer. “I think both of us have a good attitude about it. We’re just going to make the most of the opportunity that we get. Whether it’s starting, coming off the bench, whatever.
“We were lucky enough to get the experience to start tonight. I think I can say it for Kon, but definitely for myself, that we’re just happy to help the team win.”
Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, left, congratulates guard/forward Kon Knueppel following Knueppel’s 3-point basket against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday at Spectrum Center. The Hornets defeated the Nets, 136-117. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
Kalkbrenner became the second rookie in franchise history to record a double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds) in his NBA debut, joining Emeka Okafor. He’s also the 81st player in NBA history to debut with a points-rebounds double-double, according to Stathead.
The Hornets are also the first team since 2019 to start two rookies on opening night and emerge victorious. They were just two of the nine Hornets who scored in double digits — something that had never happened in a season opener in franchise history.
“Everybody ate,” Knueppel said. “Everybody is playing unselfishly. How many guys did we have? Nine? That’s winning basketball. That’s how it’s supposed to be played. So, hopefully we can keep that going.”
The insertion of Knueppel and Kalkbrenner comes with a disclaimer, though: Objects in the starting lineup may be subject to change.
Coach Charles Lee intends on keeping things fluid at shooting guard and center.
“We’ll keep studying it and figuring out which combinations work well,” the coach said. “Brandon, Miles and LaMelo have shown that they’ve earned that opportunity to start. The other two guys, they’re going to have to earn that with their performance, they’re going to earn it with the trust of their coaches and their teammates.
“Sometimes, it will be based on matchups or what makes sense with roster balance, depending on whatever situation we’re in during the year. There’s been a lot of great communication and people know to be open-minded and ready for their opportunity. We have a really deep team, especially when it comes to competitiveness.”
Initial impressions from Knueppel and Kalkbrenner were solid.
Sure, there were rookie mistakes, such as when Kalkbrenner got the ball early in the first quarter at the free-throw line and turned briefly to face the bucket. However, he whipped a pass in between Bridges and Knueppel on the wing.
But Lee also showed the confidence he has in Kalkbrenner when he ran a play for the big man coming out of a timeout midway through the first quarter. And he followed that up with back-to-back easy buckets inside.
With relative ease, too.
He swatted Ben Saraf’s shot at the rim in the second quarter, sparking a fast break punctuated by a LaMelo Ball feed to Miles Bridges for an easy two-handed dunk. Throw in a nice back tap in the third quarter that led to an uncontested Knueppel 3-pointer was among the other positives for Kalkbrenner.
“Just got the nerves out of the way,” Kalkbrenner said. “Some bad came with that — game moving a little fast. But at the end of the day, it’s just basketball. And once I got a few quarters under my belt, definitely slowed down, I felt more comfortable. So. that’ll continue to get better and better, and I’ll keep finding my comfort out there.”
Charlotte Hornets center Ryan Kalkbrenner throws down a two-handed dunk during action against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday at Spectrum Center. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
At least he’s off to a good start.
“It’s cool when you get your first NBA victory, especially to do it here at Spectrum in front of our great fans,” Lee said, “and so they made an impact from Day 1 just with their work ethic and who they are as people. And it was cool to see them be able to impact the game today in a lot of different ways.
“The (rookies) that hooped, there was a competitive spirit to all three of them. Offensive rebounds, Ryan blocking shots at the rim, Sion (James) being the elite connector that he is in terms of rebounding and pushing and guarding. So, it was a great learning experience for all three and I’m not surprised by the impact that they had because they’ve earned that opportunity to be out there.”
Here are some other key takeaways from the Hornets’ season-opening win:
Miles Bridges’ form looks pretty good
Miles Bridges picked up where he left off in the preseason.
Bridges was a force against the Nets, efficiently pumping in 18 points to go with 11 rebounds in 30 minutes. He didn’t settle for jump shots, effectively taking the ball to the bucket and drawing fouls.
He’s attributed his sizzling performances to coming into training camp in better shape, having dropped some weight to become a bit leaner, just like when he arrived in Charlotte from Michigan State in 2018. And his outing against the Nets is just the latest noteworthy effort.
“Yeah, I felt good,” Bridges said. “Like I said, I’m really comfortable in this offense, and I’ve got to be the leader out there on defense. We’ve got a lot of guys who can put the ball in the hole, and we are going to try to utilize that the whole year.”
Lee lauded Bridges’ play.
“His discipline and consistency have been really impressive,” Lee said. “During a long offseason, you start off where everyone’s always motivated. It’s easy as the summer can drag on to lose that motivation. I think Miles did a great job of starting strong in the offseason and then he continued the whole way through. With his [offseason workout] plan, I think he’s coming in in better shape.
“He took a really committed approach to his body and his conditioning, and it’s really helping him. He’s guarding really well, and offensively we’ve challenged him to hit the glass to create more possessions for us. When he starts doing it at a really high level, it becomes contagious. He always has the ability to bring people along with him because they understand how hard he plays and competes.”
Collin Sexton is the sixth man
After taking contact from North Carolina product Drake Powell and working through the foul, Colin Sexton slapped the baseline a few times in rapid succession.
It was obvious the eighth-year veteran was having fun in front of his new home crowd.
Charlotte Hornets guard Collin Sexton, left, guards Brooklyn Nets forward Tyrese Martin during action on Wednesday at Spectrum Center. The Hornets defeated the Nets, 136-117. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
“Just so that I can just relax, you know what I mean?” Sexton said. “Come to the free-throw line, make my free throws. I was upset I missed the first one. So I was like, ‘OK, now it’s time to redeem myself.’ It was one of those energy moments. I brought the energy right when I came in.”
Tapped as the sixth man in the opener, being summoned off the bench before anyone else, Sexton sparkled in his Hornets’debut. He posted 15 points on nine attempts, also distributing three assists. His play was infectious, and it’s obvious he’s going to be a key cog for the Hornets if they have any legitimate chance at ending the NBA’s longest playoff drought.
His production against the Nets was only the beginning.
“Oh, it was fun,” Sexton said. “It was definitely fun. Had a good time out there. I feel like when the ball is moving around, the energy is popping in the building and I feel like we do it, we’re doing it together. Allows us to get those leads.”
Welcome back, Tre
Tre Mann’s last regular-season game came in November. Yes, it’s been a while.
But that all changed against the Nets, when Mann came off the bench and tossed in 12 points in 20 minutes. And he had immediate impact.
He fed Moussa Diabate twice in three possessions for an easy bucket, unselfishly dumping it off to the Frenchman. Mann also had a steal and subsequent layup near the tail end of the first quarter, quelling any fears about his health after missing most of last season with a back issue.
He’s perfectly comfortable being in a reserve role.
“To be honest, I never really had the mindset to start or nothing,” Mann said. “I’m just going to compete either way, even if it wasn’t no starting spot. So, I feel like for me, I just look at it that way. I put myself into a six-man since I was the sixth man last year.
“I didn’t expect to come out and start, but I’m still going to compete every time. And if he sees it best for me to start this year, that’s what it is. If not, I’m good with whatever as long as I’m playing for real.”