Hornets’ Kon Knueppel gets championship-caliber advice from Knicks’ Jalen Brunson

Jun 13, 2026 - 01:00

Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel was handed advice from New York Knicks All-Star Jalen Brunson, who’s one win away from winning his first championship. While Knueppel is coming off an impressive rookie season for the Hornets, he’s taking in an incredibly entertaining NBA Finals series as a rookie correspondent for NBA.com. After coach Charles Lee and the Hornets improved by 25 wins in 2025-26, they’ll look to build off that success.

In the meantime, Knueppel used his media credentials to ask Brunson about what goes into a championship-caliber performance, per the New York Post’s Jared Schwartz.

“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.”

In terms of the hard work, it’s an ethic that Brunson’s parents instilled in him as a young boy.

“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.”

Kon Knueppel asked Jalen Brunson about what makes a championship-caliber player.
Brunson’s answer: pic.twitter.com/Y6Jg1iV9iR
— Jared Schwartz (@jschwartz115) June 12, 2026