Just days before Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel returned to Milwaukee for a road game, his mom sent him a simple text. She noticed the team had a night off before the Nov. 14 matchup and wondered if her 6-foot-7 son could stop by for dinner with his parents and four younger brothers.
“Invite whoever you want,” she told him.
A few hours later, Kon replied: “I think I’m going to invite the whole team.”
When a full bus of Hornets players pulled up to their neighborhood, nearby residents watched from their driveways, snapping photos. Unsure how many players would actually show up, Kon’s parents — Chari and Kon Sr. — had prepped 15 pounds of their signature chicken fajitas, the same dish they make for Super Bowl parties. But when they saw a dozen towering players, including several over 7 feet tall, they immediately cooked an extra 10 pounds.
“With five sons and making three meals a day, we’ve had plenty of practice,” Chari said.
What started as a casual family dinner turned into a viral NBA moment after a photo from the evening spread across social media.
Kon’s younger brothers — in grades 8 through 11 and standout basketball players themselves — tried to play it cool. Although one couldn’t resist attempting to dunk on LaMelo Ball using the mini-hoop inside the house.
Different NBA teams have different routines for road-game dinners: some hit upscale restaurants as a group, others break into smaller crews. But visiting a teammate’s childhood home? That was a first for many Hornets players, Kon said — and it inspired some to consider inviting their own teammates home.
“As NBA players, we’re always traveling, eating in hotels or restaurants,” Kon explained. “It’s rare to get a real home-cooked meal. And honestly, it’s not just about the food — it’s the comfort of being in someone’s home.”
The team stayed for more than 90 minutes, touring Kon’s childhood bedroom and the family’s low-ceilinged basement “man cave,” stuffed with jerseys, championship rings and basketball memorabilia. Chari, a Hall of Famer at UW–Green Bay, and Kon Sr., a Hall of Famer at his own college, have passed on their love of the game.
“I’m shocked Mason Plumlee didn’t leave with back pain from bending under our 7-foot ceilings,” Chari joked.
The next night, Kon delivered a career-high 32-point performance against the Bucks in front of thousands of hometown supporters. Nearly a month into his rookie season, he leads all first-year players with an average of nearly 18 points per game.
“We’ve always rooted for the Hornets,” Kon Sr. said. “But meeting these guys and seeing how kind and appreciative they were makes us want to cheer for them even more.”
Chari added: “They made the little boys feel included and talked to them like big brothers. That meant everything to us.”
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