Hornets' Kon Knueppel sets rookie 3-point record with 207th - ESPN

INDIANAPOLIS — Charlotte's Kon Knueppel reached yet another milestone in a remarkable rookie season for the No. 4 pick out of Duke.

The Hornets swingman broke Keegan Murray's NBA rookie record for 3-pointers, making his 207th on Thursday night against the Indiana Pacers. Knueppel connected on five 3s in the first half and then broke the record in the third quarter.

It took Murray 80 games in 2022-23 to establish the record — and Knueppel just 59 to surpass it.

Golden State's Stephen Curry holds the single-season NBA record with 402 3s.

Knueppel, who entered shooting 43.6% from beyond the arc and leading the league in 3s, broke the record off an assist from Sion James, his college teammate at Duke.

He finished with 28 points in the 133-109 win, with his 8 3s (on 12 attempts) tying his career high and landing just one shy of tying the NBA rookie record. He leads the NBA with 209 3s.

Knueppel is a contender for NBA Rookie of the Year along with his former college teammate and roommate Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 pick of the Dallas Mavericks. He has also helped propel the long-suffering Hornets into playoff contention; Charlotte has not made the playoffs since the 2015-16 season.

«It's what elevates our whole culture when you have a guy that's that good, but that humble, no ego — it becomes contagious throughout your whole organization,» Hornets coach Charles Lee told CGTN Sports Scene after Knueppel eclipsed 200 3s on Tuesday night.

Knueppel has been a perfect fit in second-year coach Lee's offense alongside playmaker LaMelo Ball by finding open spots on the court — a skill he attributes to playing in his father's men's league against taller competition beginning as an eighth grader growing up in Milwaukee.

Knueppel has thrived