Meet The Lutheran Kid From Wisconsin Taking The NBA By Storm

A few weeks ago I packed up my kids and their friends into the minivan to drive downtown to watch the Milwaukee Bucks take on the Charlotte Hornets. Now, normally there would be little doubt we would be cheering for the former world champs, as we witnessed thundering dunks from Giannis and the wild antics of Bobby Portis. However, this trip was different. That’s because we were almost more excited to see the Hornets’ first-year phenom Kon Knueppel make his return to Milwaukee.

Knueppel has taken the NBA by storm, transitioning to the NBA game with ease after only one year at Duke. While I’m confident Knueppel will grow into an enduring NBA star, what I’m more excited to see is how he uses his platform to share his faith.

For those unfamiliar with “K2,” Knueppel is the son of a true basketball couple — his father was a standout at Division III Wisconsin Lutheran College and the school’s leading scorer until 2019, and his mother dominated at Division 1 University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and remains the school’s all-time leading scorer. If that weren’t enough, his father and uncles made waves in the national 3-3 circuit as the Flying Knueppel Brothers. Knueppel played ball at Wisconsin Lutheran High School (“Wisco”) in Milwaukee, culminating in a senior campaign where he led his team to a 30-0 record and a Division 2 state championship. For his efforts he was named Wisconsin Mr. Basketball. In his only collegiate year, alongside Cooper Flagg he led Duke to the Final Four, earning an ACC Tournament MVP award along the way.

Kon was selected fourth by the Hornets in the 2025 NBA draft. Thus far, he has lived up to the hype. He leads all rookies in scoring at nearly 20 points per game, ranks top five in the league in three pointers made, and he scored what was then a career-high 32 points in the Milwaukee game we attended, nearly propelling the Hornets past the Bucks with timely threes.

While many took notice of his on-the-court performance, however, what really went “viral” was what occurred prior to the Milwaukee game. Before the game, Knueppel’s parents fed the Charlotte Hornets in their home! For high school basketball squads, team parents will often provide a home-cooked meal to the team prior to a game. (I’m proud to say I was able to partake in a number of these meals as a member of Wisco’s basketball team). What is almost certainly not customary is for an NBA rookie’s parents to provide such homestyle cooking in a finished basement to a roster full of professional basketball players. The Knueppels took the Lutheran potluck to a whole new level. Knueppel even discussed the team dinner during his recent appearance on Jimmy Fallon.

But what happened in the stands during the game was nothing short of astounding. Numerous local media reports pegged the number of “family and friends” in attendance to witness Knueppel at over 2,000. Not 200, but 2,000. Videos showed Knueppel warmly greeting many of those 2,000 following the game.

The number is revealing on numerous levels. For those unfamiliar with a private school like Wisco, the passion for the teams and players runs deep. Multiple generations of families will attend one of the schools in the network. Families know one another. And when a player like Knueppel makes it to the highest level, there is a sense of pride.

However, the number is revealing on another, more fundamental level. In a day and age when there is a premium on stars being “in your face,” Knueppel just goes about his business. While many stars focus on individual performance, Knueppel seems to embrace a humble servant attitude (fitting since the mantra serves as the guiding principle at his father’s alma mater).  

This humble approach appears to be grounded in a mature and strong faith. Recently he made an appearance on the Nonmicrowaved Truth podcast, hosted by C.L. Whiteside. There, he provided the most revealing comments on the source of his motivation and faith. He also provided ample evidence that he remains rooted in his love of family (and Legos!).

When asked to describe his favorite biblical figure, Knueppel named Job, noting that “it’s so countercultural to have a bunch of bad things happen to you … like catastrophic things happen to you, and still remain so strong in your faith, I think it’s really remarkable.” He also observed, “Our time on earth is temporary, so use it … wisely, use it to praise God and make sure other people do the same and share that love of Jesus. But also that in death is victory.” Finally, and most telling, when asked what separates Jesus from other religious figures in history, Knueppel noted the characteristic of humility and nature of forgiveness. He observed no other figure can live up to Jesus’ act of sacrificing himself “for all sins of all time.”

While Knueppel’s story is certainly interesting, why are so many paying such close attention to his rise? In our society today, the ability of an athlete to influence culture should not be underestimated. Beyond making waves in popular culture, nongovernmental entities often represent the most efficient means to advance causes and policies.

Too often, thinkers on the political left have been the primary forces utilizing cultural institutions to undermine faith, family, and a humble approach to work. This is not by chance. German activist Rudi Dutschke, a disciple of Italian communist Antonio Gramsci, famously wrote about the need to utilize “the long march through the institutions.” Sadly, the “long march” envisioned by Dutschke was not one that led to stronger faith communities or families.

Knueppel has an opportunity. Those of us who had the privilege of watching him dominate the high school circuit knew he was going to be an amazing talent. After a dominant year at a Duke and a meteoric rise to the NBA, it should be clear to most that Knueppel is likely to have a long and successful NBA career.

My hope and prayer, however, is that he also embraces the opportunity he has to establish a platform to be emulated, one where a faith-first, servant-leader approach can achieve success at the highest level. Like Tim Tebow, Tony Dungy, C.J. Stroud, Kurt Warner and others, he can use his platform to prove one can succeed at the highest level while placing ultimate trust in his Lord and Savior.

Jake Curtis is the general counsel for the Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) and previously served as an agency chief legal counsel in the Scott Walker administration and as an elected Ozaukee County supervisor.