Duke’s Shooting Guard Kon Knueppel’s Parents Were Professional Basketball Players Inducted Into the Hall of Fame!

January 30, 2026

This article was last updated by Aditi Rai on January 30, 2026

Duke Blue Devils’ shooting guard, Kon Knueppel, has followed in the footsteps of his parents, Kon Sr. and Chari Knueppel, who were basketball players.

Though all the hype may be around Knueppel’s teammate Cooper Flagg being the No.1 Draft pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Knueppel has also received a lottery shoutout.

In his freshman year at Duke, Knueppel has averaged 13.1 points, 2.6 assists, and 3.7 rebounds.

The young basketball star has been shooting 37.3% from three and 87.2% at the line and recently had a viral play against North Carolina State in their 74-64 win.

The shooting guard steadied his teammate, Tyrese Proctor, by grabbing his leg, who nearly lost his balance while going out of bounds.

Never seen this before in a hoops game as Duke’s Kon Knueppel pulls Tyrese Proctor’s leg to keep him in bounds

— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria)

Knueppel joined Duke from Wisconsin Lutheran High School as a five-star recruit and was ranked 16 nationally by 247 Sports and No.22 by ESPN.

In December 2026, Sports Illustrated mentioned Knueppel as one of the most polarizing players in the 2026 NBA Draft.

The sports website mentioned that Knueppel’s lack of athleticism has been a major concern for the NBA scout.

But Knueppel also has upside, including being a low-turnover dribble/pass/shoot wing who can handle pick-and-rolls.

This time, last year, there wasn’t any hype surrounding the 2026 NBA Draft, but that isn’t the case with the 2026 NBA Draft, with many saying the projected No.1 Cooper Flagg could be a generational player.

Kon Knueppel’s Parents, Kon SR. And Chari Knueppel, Were Top Athletes During Their Heyday!

The Duke guard, Kon Knueppel, needs to thank his parents, Kon and Chari Knueppel, for blessing him with supreme sporting genes.

Kon’s dad, Kon Sr., played basketball at Wisconsin Lutheran College, and not only was he a starter, Kon Sr. was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

played at Wisconsin Lutheran College from 1995-1998 and was their guard/forward.

He led his team to three straight conference titles from 1996-1998 and helped them win the Lake Michigan Conference.

Kon Sr. is Wisconsin Lutheran College’s all-time leading scorer with 2,064 career points and ranks second all-time in scoring average at 19.3 and rebounds per game at 7.8.

Kon Jr’s mom, , played basketball at UW-Green Bay and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004.

During her career, Chari racked up 1964 points and was named the Midwest Collegiate Conference Player of the Year during the 1998-99 season.

Previously, in an interview with , Kon revealed that his dad gave his mom a Christmas present, which happened to be Chari’s game highlights that Kon Sr. had pulled out of VHS tapes.

The Duke guard said it was the first time he saw that many basketball highlights of his mom. Speaking to , Chari said:

Watching my son play for Duke always gives me the chills. Every time he takes off his warm-up shirt for the starting lineups I get teary.

via:

Chari Knueppel also shared with the media that Kon always wanted to play for NC State University as his great-grandfather played for one of the Tobacco Road universities.

Kon Knueppel Has Four Younger Brothers, All of Whom Are Into Basketball!

Being top basketball athletes, Kon Sr. and Chari Kneuppel have turned five of their boys into basketball players.

While Kon Jr. plays at Duke, the second oldest of five brothers, Kager Knueppel is a star at Wisconsin Lutheran High School.

Last season, Kager Knueppel couldn’t play due to injury, but this season, he has helped his side to a 12-1 overall record.

Kager, 16, at 6’8, is already taller than his brother and is currently averaging 15.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists.

The sophomore at high school, Kager has already from Toledo.

6'8 2027 SF Kager Knueppel scored 22 points last week to help lead Wisconsin Lutheran past West Allis Central!

— Fresh Coast Hoops (@FreshCoastHoops)

On January 19, 2026, Chari shared the highlight of her second oldest son on Twitter.

She , “Just putting this out there for clarification. Kager is pronounced Cage-er, as in what they used to call basketball players because they played with a cage around them.”

Kon’s other younger brother, Kinston Knueppe, 15, is a 6’5″ Small Forward/Shooting Guard at Wisconsin Lutheran High School.

Not only does Kinston play basketball at Wisconsin, but he is also a

The other two younger brothers are Kash, 14, and Kidman, 13, who also dream of becoming high-level basketball players.

In Case You Didn’t Know

Kon Knueppel was named the 2026-24 Wisconsin Mr. Basketball Award and was also named Wisconsin Associated Press Player of the Year.
The Duke’s shooting guard, Kon Knueppel, was named Gatorade Wisconsin Player of the Year in 2026 after he averaged 25.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game as a senior.

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Sriyukta Pradhananga is a versatile writer with a keen interest in exploring the multifaceted dimensions of sports. Her articles offer readers a dynamic blend of insightful analysis, engaging storytelling, and thought-provoking commentary that sheds light on the diverse experiences within the athletic realm.

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