The race for the 2026 NBA Rookie of the Year award is primarily viewed as a one-man coronation for Cooper Flagg. But one Milwaukee native could upset the odds. Kon Knueppel grew up on a healthy diet of the prime Bucks squad led to a championship by Giannis Antetokounmpo. He’s now making the Charlotte Hornets look really lethal. And after the All-Star Weekend he’s had, it’s the perfect time to receive a monumental endorsement that could shift the narrative.

For Knueppel, his very first All-Star experience was star-studded. He was repping the Hornets in the 3-Point Contest, which featured a returning Damian Lillard, and he was in the Rising Stars Challenge. But the highlight was probably in the practices that connected him to his hometown hero.

During a recent practice exchange that has since gone viral, two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo pulled the rookie aside to offer stunning praise. Giannis labeled the newcomer as a standout performer in a league full of elite athletes.

“I’ve been doing it for 13 years and it took a rookie to come in and understand what I’m be doing. You’re probably one of the smartest rookies I’ve ever seen,” Antetokounmpo said while demonstrating one of his moves, an elbow extension to create space from defenders before he could make a drive to the basket. It works when it’s well-timed and only someone as elite as the Greek Freak gets it right.

Knueppel understood the mechanics of it at only 20 and broke it down during his interview with Bill Simmons. It’s why Giannis doubled down on his praise for him.

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“But you probably one of the most intelligent players that I’ve seen as a rookie, like the way you, how you coming out. Usually guys [are] trying to figure out how to play because NBA in college or Europe is totally different. But you already got it. You [are] only going to get better.”

Knueppel grew up just minutes from Fiserv Forum and was 16 when he brought home the championship. The validation from his idol was “pretty sweet,” in his words, and left him starstruck at the end of the clip. And Giannis‘ stamp of approval could sway the RoTY race in the Milwaukee product’s favor.

Giannis Antetokounmpo weighs in on the ROY candidates

The veteran’s backing isn’t just empty locker-room talk. It is supported by a string of dominant performances that have kept Knueppel neck-and-neck with his Duke teammate, Cooper Flagg, in the rookie rankings. Before the season began, it was assumed that the RoTY award was going to Dallas, which had the first pick in the 2025 draft. By November, the fourth overall pick created Kon Mania.

In November, Knueppel returned to his hometown to play against the team he grew up watching for the first time. The pressure to play against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks didn’t get him. He erupted for 32 points, including four three-pointers and added three assists and three steals.

It seemed to demonstrate exactly what Giannis is talking about. He also acknowledged that the Bucks had a hand in shaping this rookie, noting that Kon showed all the signs of growing up close to basketball. But he credits Knueppel’s family for supporting him in that regard.

To be fair, Giannis also had similar words for Flagg. He called him a “great player” with “High IQ, can read plays, can get downhill. For a guy his size to be able to handle the ball and make plays for himself or his teammates, he’s incredible.”

While 19-year-old Flagg has grabbed headlines with his versatility in Dallas, it took him a few months to find his footing and become a 40-point machine. Knueppel very quickly became the Hornets’ most reliable secondary playmaker, and according to Giannis, he is already a complete NBA player.

With his endorsement, the ROY race is no longer a foregone conclusion. Giannis Antetokounmpo is forcing voters to see the Bucks-grown talent in Charlotte.