Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel has the chance to become one of the best young three-point shooters in the league.
In a few years, his work on the court could lead to comparisons to many great NBA icons, such as Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.
A new video shared online by r/CharlotteHornets on Reddit featured Thompson reaching out to Knueppel and wishing him well.
In the video message, he gave Knueppel words of support and thanked him for modeling his game after him.
“Just wanted to wish you well. Thanks for the words of trying to model your game after me. It makes me feel kind of old, but also very appreciative of great young athletes like yourself who are coming to take over the league and carry on the torch of what we started,” Thompson said to Knueppel.
📱 Klay Thompson had a special message for Kon Knueppel:
“Thanks for the words of trying to model your game after me. It makes me feel kind of old, but also very appreciative of great young athletes like yourself who are coming to take over the league and carry on the torch…” pic.twitter.com/SgFw9KJ5f3
— r/CharlotteHornets on Reddit (@HornetsReddit) July 19, 2025
This must be quite an inspiring and motivational moment for Knueppel, who is surely experiencing a lot of them right now.
After picking him as the fourth overall choice in the recent draft, the Hornets are envisioning big things for Knueppel, and he is meeting his teammates, as well as the legends he will compete against.
He is just months away from entering the NBA, and the expectations about him are very high.
Analysts and fans point to his work in college and how he could instantly become a huge offensive threat for the Hornets.
He has modeled his skills after Thompson, and if he ends up playing like him, Charlotte will be very happy with their selection.
It’s not every day that a young player receives a video message from their basketball hero, and Knueppel is soaking it up and embracing his new life.
Right now, he is getting encouragement from Thompson, but in a few months, he will be competing against him.
