Rookie Kon Knueppel’s family hosts Hornets for team dinner
Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel got the chance to play in his hometown of Milwaukee for the first time in his young career, and he took the idea of a return game literally.
The first-round pick invited the entire Hornets team to his family’s house one night before facing the Bucks.
“Take the [team] the bus on my street, going home, it was weird,” Knueppel said before Friday night’s game. “And a group of NBA players at my house. There were a lot of people, but my family enjoyed it. My brothers really enjoyed it.”
I am so excited to welcome the Hornets to our home at MKE! pic.twitter.com/btmkBHBpEz
– Chari Nordgaard Knueppel (@ChariNKnueppel) November 14, 2025
Knueppel is the eldest of five boys. Both of his parents played college basketball, so being part of a team is nothing new to the family. However, Knueppel said at least one of his teammates has never had such an experience.
“Mason [Plumlee]one of our veterinarians, 35 years old [years old]year [13 in the NBA] for him. And he told me, ‘I’ve never done that before, I’ve never been to a teammate’s house,'” Knueppel said. “So it was cool to hear him say that. It was a special hour and a half for us.”
Perhaps most importantly, the team impressed Mom.
“They were really great guys,” said Knueppel’s mother, Chari. “They’re young and they’re so nice to my youngest sons. … It was just a really great life experience, just an essential memory.”
The game itself was also special. With nearly 2,000 friends and family members in attendance, Kon Knueppel scored a career-high 32 points, but the Hornets lost to the Bucks 147-134 in overtime of an NBA Cup game.
