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"I got no chance" – Kon Knueppel recalls his first experience guarding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
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- "I got no chance" – Kon Knueppel recalls his first experience guarding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Kon Knueppel had an impressive rookie season, where he finished second in the tight ROTY race. It was a wild ride for the Charlotte Hornets' young star, but he has not forgotten how it began.
To officially kick off his NBA journey, Knueppel and the Hornets faced the Oklahoma City Thunder in their first two preseason games. However, the reality would later hit Knueppel hard and fast: why their leader, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander , is one of the most feared superstars in the league. He recalled the sobering experience on "The Old Man and The Three."
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"I'd say that, like, all of a sudden I was like guarding SGA and like in transition," he said . "I was just like, man, I got no chance."
Kon recalls first matchup vs SGA
Months after the Hornets selected Knueppel with the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft, the team commenced their preseason campaign. It was an opportunity to test their young, healthy and promising roster against the battle-tested Thunder.
The matchup that stood out the most to Knueppel during the preseason, however, was his defensive assignment against Gilgeous-Alexander. The Canadian did not suit up in their first preseason clash, where the Hornets lost, 135-114. He finally did in their second.
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During that game, Knueppel found himself defending the former MVP, often looking to his teammates for help. And what impressed Knueppel was that he was not even trying hard, as after all, it was still only the preseason.
"It was a preseason game, and I was just like, oh my goodness. I picked this guy up. I was like looking. I was like, is somebody else coming to pick him up, and I was like, all right, I got him," he recalled.
SGA posted 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field, while tallying five assists in 20 minutes of playing time, leading the Thunder to a 122-114 victory. Knueppel only played 24 minutes and recorded eight points and five rebounds.
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Knueppel faced SGA and OKC twice in the regular season
Little did Knueppel know that Gilgeous-Alexander's performances during the preseason were only a glimpse of what he would go on to accomplish that season. SGA averaged 31.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game en route to winning his second straight MVP.
Knueppel and the Hornets only experienced this dominance in just two regular-season matchups against the Thunder.
In their first game on November 15 , SGA posted 33 points on 68.4 percent shooting from the field, four rebounds and seven assists to lead OKC to victory. When they faced each other again on January 5, 2026 , he was, however, limited to an uncharacteristic 21 points on 33.3 percent shooting as the Hornets ran away with the win.
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What makes SGA unstoppable
Still, these two games were enough for the 6'6″ Milwaukee native to learn what makes SGA unstoppable. For him, it all comes down to his consistency and surgical precision on the offensive end throughout a game.
"I think he's just so consistent and it's like seven points a quarter, eight points a quarter and then it's 15 in one quarter…he just kind of goes off," Knueppel explained. "It's just like the difficulty of the shots he shoots that he makes look easy is probably the thing that's most impressive about him, but just like his pace, too, with the ball. Like he doesn't go that fast, but yeah, he's so hard to guard."
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Knueppel has not suited up for the Hornets since the 2026-2027 preseason as he continues to recover from a hamstring strain. His return remains unclear. Nevertheless, the Hornets continue their brand-new era without LaMelo Ball.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Oct 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
