Charlotte Hornets sharpshooter Kon Knueppel etched his name in the history books Thursday by completely shattering an NBA rookie record.
Knueppel lit up the Indiana Pacers from beyond the arc in a 133-109 win over the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. The Duke alum connected on eight three-pointers for 28 points, giving him 209 triples for the season.
Knueppel’s three-point tally surpassed the previous rookie record of 206 threes in a season set by Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray during the 2022-23 campaign. The Hornets wing set the new high mark with 22 games left in Charlotte’s regular season.
Kon Knueppel made his 207th three-pointer of the season tonight vs. the Pacers, breaking the record for most threes by a rookie in NBA history 🔥
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) February 27, 2026
The Hornets still have 22 games left to play this season 😮 pic.twitter.com/ttM2lmEW3p
The decisive deep shot came on a side-step jumper late in the third quarter.
KON MAKES HISTORY ‼️
— NBA (@NBA) February 27, 2026
With this three, Kon Knueppel has set the new NBA rookie record for 3-pointers made in a season! pic.twitter.com/CoaK09QIQY
Knueppel isn’t just a three-point leader among rookies. He entered Thursday’s slate of games as the only NBA player so far this season to make over 200 three-pointers. His history-making performance only padded his lead over the rest of the league.
Through 59 games, Knueppel has averaged 19.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 3.5 three-pointers made this season. While Cooper Flagg has been the Rookie of the Year frontrunner for most of the season, Knueppel is slowly minimizing the gap between the former Blue Devils.
