Hornets: Kon Knueppel and his family open their doors to rookies in Milwaukee

Kon Knueppel Experiences an Unforgettable Homecoming with the Hornets

Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel got to play in his hometown of Milwaukee for the first time in his young career, and he took the idea of a homecoming game to a whole new level. The night before the game against the Bucks, the player selected in the first round of the draft invited the entire Hornets team to his family’s house.

“It was weird taking the team bus down my street, going home,” Knueppel said before Friday’s game. “And having a bunch of NBA players at my house. There were a lot of big people, but my family enjoyed it. My brothers definitely enjoyed it.”

Kon Knueppel

Knueppel is the oldest of five siblings. Both parents played college basketball, so being surrounded by a team is nothing new for the family. However, Knueppel mentioned that at least one of his teammates had never had an experience like this.

“Mason Plumlee, one of our veterans, at 35 years old and 13 in the NBA. And he said ‘I’ve never done this before, I’ve never been to a teammate’s house'”, Knueppel recounted. “So it was great to hear him say that. It was a special hour and a half for us.”

Kon Knueppel

Perhaps most importantly, the team impressed Knueppel’s mother.

“They were great guys,” said Chari, Knueppel’s mother. “They’re young and they’re very good with my younger children… It was a great life experience, a core memory.”

Chari Knueppel

The game itself was also special. With nearly 2,000 friends and family in attendance, Kon Knueppel scored 32 points, a career high, but the Hornets lost to the Bucks 147-134 in overtime in an NBA Cup game.