NBA rookie Kon Knueppel invites entire team to family dinner

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - NOVEMBER 19: Kon Knueppel #7 of the Charlotte Hornets dribbles the ball in the third quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on November 19, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – NOVEMBER 19: Kon Knueppel #7 of the Charlotte Hornets dribbles the ball in the third quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on November 19, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

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(NewsNation) — Charlotte Hornets rookie phenom Kon Knueppel did something unusual last week: He brought his entire team to a family dinner ahead of a game in his hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

According to NBC News, Knueppel’s mom, Chari Nordgaard Knueppel, reached out to her son before the Nov. 14 game against the Milwaukee Bucks and asked if he had time to stop by for dinner with his parents and four younger brothers. She told him he could invite anyone he wanted.

Knueppel took the offer literally and showed up at his childhood home with a busload of Hornets players the night before the game.

How much food does it take to feed an NBA team?

After the dinner, Chari Knueppel uploaded a photo to social media showing Hornets players smiling alongside the Knueppel family.

In response to a question under the post about how much food they had to feed several large NBA players, Chari replied: “25lbs of Chicken Fajitas.”

The next night, surrounded by nearly 2,000 friends and family, Knueppel scored a career-high 32 points against the Bucks, concluding an unforgettable NBA homecoming.

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