Kon Knueppel broke an all-time NBA record against the New York Knicks by becoming the youngest player ever to make at least 250 three-pointers in a single season.
Charlotte Hornets rookie wing Kon Knueppel is building a strong case for the NBA Rookie of the Year award as his impressive debut season continues.
On Thursday night, Knueppel helped the Hornets extend their winning streak to five games with a 114-103 victory over the New York Knicks.
The 20-year-old delivered an all-around performance, finishing with 26 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists, narrowly missing out on what would have been the first triple-double of his career.
It also marked the first time Knueppel has recorded at least 25 points and 10 rebounds in an NBA game.
The rookie has also become one of the league's most dangerous sharpshooters and leads the league in long-range shots made.
Entering the game with 247 made three-pointers, Knueppel reached another milestone when he knocked down his third shot from beyond the arc vs. the Knicks, giving him 250 for the season (he now has 253).
According to the NBA, Knueppel is now the youngest player ever to record at least 250 three-pointers in a single season and the only player aged 22 or younger to reach that mark.
For comparison, Stephen Curry made 166 three-pointers during his rookie season (2009-10) with the Golden State Warriors.
With Charlotte's latest win, the Hornets improved to 39-34, tying the Orlando Magic for eighth place in the Eastern Conference.
If they hold on to a playoff spot, it would mark the franchise's first postseason appearance since 2016.
"I just think it's a commitment to what we do, and establishing an identity as a team," Knueppel said in the post-game conference. "Our coaching staff's done a really good job of doing that. There's definitely a lot of buy-in from all of our guys right now."
"We want to play in big-time games. This is a big-time game," he said post-game. "The rest of these games for us are big-time, playoff-like games. They determine our seeding, and we want to give ourselves the best chance we can for the playoffs."
Knueppel, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, is averaging 19.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists this season while shooting 43.6 percent from three-point range.
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