Kon Knueppel edges LaMelo for 3‑point crown
In the NBA 3‑Point Contest, Kon Knueppel beat LaMelo Ball by a single three-pointer to win, marking the first duo to post 270+ combined makes since Curry and Thompson and drawing massive engagement online. Social recaps and clips of the finish picked up wide attention today (x.com).
Kon Knueppel finished the 2025-26 regular season as the National Basketball Association leader in made three-pointers, beating Charlotte teammate LaMelo Ball by one make, 273 to 272. (nba.com) The Charlotte Hornets said Monday that Knueppel and Ball became the second pair of teammates in league history to finish first and second in a season in total made threes. The only other duo to do it was Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors. (nba.com) Both Hornets cleared 270 made threes, a mark only Curry and Thompson had reached together before, in 2015-16 and 2022-23. Charlotte also said Knueppel and Ball broke the franchise single-season record of 260 made threes set by Kemba Walker in 2018-19. (nba.com) The race tightened on the last day of the regular season, when Charlotte beat New York 110-96 at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, April 12. Ball made five threes in that game, and Knueppel made three. (nba.com) (si.com) That finish put two Hornets at the top of a league category usually dominated by veteran guards. Charlotte said the top five also included Luka Dončić with 254, Nickeil Alexander-Walker with 251, and Jamal Murray with 245. (nba.com) Knueppel told the Hornets he “wasn’t really aware” of the gap late in the game and said he was focused on “trying to make the right decision.” Ball said, “Kon is a great kid for real,” after the win in New York. (nba.com) The season-long shooting race landed as Charlotte moved into the Eastern Conference play-in tournament. The Hornets clinched the No. 9 seed with the win over the Knicks and were scheduled to host the Miami Heat on Tuesday, April 14, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) Knueppel’s total also carried rookie weight. The Score’s recap of Sunday’s game said his 273 made threes set the National Basketball Association rookie record, adding another line to a season that ended with Charlotte at 44-38. (thescore.com) By Monday, the one-make margin had turned a team stat into a national talking point: two Charlotte guards, one spot apart, and a finish close enough to be decided by a single three. (nba.com)
