Duke freshman Kon Knueppel is arguably the best shooter in the 2025 NBA Draft. He shot 47.9% from the field and 40.6% from 3-point range this past season at Duke, and is now widely projected to go top 10 at the draft.
Knueppel comes from a basketball background, and his family has played a pivotal role in his rise to the top of draft boards. In fact, it was his mother who helped him perfect his free throw. So, let’s get to know his mom, dad, and the rest of his family in detail.
Meet Kon Knueppel’s Parents, Chari and Kon Knueppel Sr.
Kon was born on August 3, 2005, to parents Kon Knueppel Sr. and Chari (née Nordgaard) Knueppel, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Both his parents come from college basketball backgrounds, with his father having had an illustrious career at Wisconsin Lutheran College.
Knueppel Sr. was inducted into the Wisconsin Lutheran Hall of Fame in 2014 and held the school’s all-time scoring mark for 20 years with 2,064 points. He earned four All-Lake Michigan Conference selections and led the Warriors to three straight conference championships from 1996 to 1998. He was named the LMC Player of the Year twice and LMC Rookie of the Year in 1995.
Knueppel Sr.’s brothers Klay and Kole also played for the WLC Warriors and are among the top four in school history in terms of 3-point shooting percentages.
Meanwhile, Knueppel’s mother, Chari, starred at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, where she became the program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,964 points. She won the Horizon League Player of the Year award in 1999 and was inducted into the UW-Green Bay Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005.
Her No. 33 jersey was retired in January 2024, an honor reserved for the school’s greatest athletes.
We spot a familiar face! Chari Nordgaard Knueppel (@ChariNKnueppel), our program’s all-time leading scorer, was featured last night on ESPN!
Her son, Kon, plays for @DukeMBB
📹 @espn#RiseWithUs pic.twitter.com/0ldyqTu7Yn
— Green Bay Women’s Basketball (@gbphoenixwbb) January 29, 2025
But while it’s Chari whom Knueppel credited for helping him perfect his free throw, the Duke standout claimed it was his father’s basketball career that had more impact on his journey.
“Probably my dad,” Knueppel said when asked who he looked up to on the court. “Just watching him play all my life, how to play the right way, how to get others open, get others involved, communicating on defense, doing all the little stuff.”
Knueppel Sr. currently works as a School counselor at Milwuackee Public Schools, according to his LinkedIn profile, while Chari has dedicated herself to supporting her kids’ basketball journey. Yes, Knueppel isn’t the only hooper child in the family.
Who Are Knueppel’s Siblings?
The basketball tradition extends beyond Kon Jr. His younger brother, Kager, is already making waves at 6’8″ and has received his first Division 1 offer from the Toledo Rockets. During Wisconsin Lutheran High School’s state championship run, Chari demonstrated her unwavering support by traveling between her sons’ games.
6’8 2027 wing Kager Knueppel picked up a D1 offer from Toledo! Highlights of his 23 point performance in a win for Wisconsin Lutheran on Saturday @WiscoBB @KnueppelKager
Full highlights: https://t.co/SvCAsYNsLf pic.twitter.com/MVxDegtkRF
— Fresh Coast Hoops (@FreshCoastHoops) December 24, 2024
She was reported to be “flying back and forth from Raleigh, North Carolina, and Madison, Wisconsin” to attend both Kon’s NCAA Tournament games and Kager’s high school championship, according to John Leuzzi of The Fayetteville Observer.
Knueppel also has three more brothers, Kinston, Kash, and Kid, who excel in sports and recently went undefeated at the Lutheran Nationals.
