Hornets’ Kon Knueppel gets Brunson advice ahead

Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel picked up championship-caliber advice from New York Knicks All-Star Jalen Brunson, one win away from his first NBA title. The rookie shared the moment while working as a rookie correspondent for NBA.com during the Finals,

Kon Knueppel didn’t just watch the NBA Finals like a fan. As the Charlotte Hornets rookie takes in one of the most entertaining series of the season. he’s doing it with a microphone in his hand—serving as a rookie correspondent for NBA.com—and using the experience to ask one of the league’s sharpest questions.

Knueppel turned to New York Knicks All-Star Jalen Brunson, who enters the Finals one win away from winning his first championship. The question was simple but pointed: what separates a championship-caliber performance from everything else?

Brunson’s answer centered on the part of the work that happens when the lights are off. He said the constant is never being afraid to fail. tying it directly to how you prepare during the summer—when players picture the court by themselves. In his view. opportunities come because you put yourself in positions to get better. and when the moment arrives you’re not scared of the outcome because you’ve already earned your confidence through the grind.

“I think the one thing that stays constant within all that is I’ve always told myself. and been taught by my parents. never be afraid to fail. ” Brunson said. “You put yourself in those positions in the summertime when you’re envisioning what’s going on on the court when you’re by yourself on the court.

“When you put yourself in those positions to get better in the summertime. and when those opportunities come about. you’re not afraid of the moment because you’ve worked hard enough to where if you do fail. you’re going to learn anyway. You put the confidence you had in everything you do when the lights are on because of everything you’ve done when no one’s watching.”.

Knueppel asked that question as Brunson’s stakes kept rising. The Knicks All-Star is a single win away from his first championship, and the way Brunson described preparation made that reality feel personal—not just goal-oriented, but process-driven.

He went further, grounding the mindset in the people who set the foundation. Brunson said the mindset “starts” with his parents, and he’s grateful for how it’s carried through every step—from high school to college and through every coach he’s had.

“That’s the mindset my parents instilled in me, and I think every step of the way from high school to college, every coach I’ve ever had, has helped me get better,” Brunson added. “But it really starts with them, and I’m really appreciative of them.”

For Knueppel, the message lands at a time of momentum inside Charlotte. The Hornets’ coaching staff led by Charles Lee and the team’s jump of 25 wins in 2025-26 are pushing the franchise toward its next phase—one that, for a rookie like Knueppel, starts as much with learning as it does with playing.

The schedule is close enough to feel real now: Knueppel is set to watch the San Antonio Spurs host the New York Knicks for Game 5 on Saturday.

In the middle of that Finals intensity, Knueppel is collecting something sturdier than highlights. Brunson’s advice—never being afraid to fail because the work comes first—reads like a blueprint for a player still building his own NBA identity. And for a team that already improved by 25 wins under coach Charles Lee. that kind of lesson can matter more than any single series moment.

Kon Knueppel Jalen Brunson Charlotte Hornets New York Knicks NBA Finals NBA.com rookie correspondent Charles Lee Spurs Game 5