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Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel lands Cheez-It sponsorship

Grant Grubbs Profile Pictureby: Grant Grubbs03/26/26grant_grubbs_

Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel has partnered with Cheez-It. The snack company is releasing Kon’s Double Double Cheez-It Bundle, which will feature the rookie standout’s two favorite flavors: White Cheddar and Extra Toasty.

Kon’s bundle will be available exclusively at cheezit.com. Fans can purchase the limited-edition item when it goes on sale on March 26 and April 6 at 9 a.m. ET.

“For as long as I can remember, watching basketball has meant grabbing a box of Cheez-It crackers,” Knueppel said in a press release. “They’ve always been my go-to snack. Getting to team up with Cheez-It to bring my two favorite flavors together is unbelievable, and I’m pumped to share this with the fans. Their energy made my rookie season unforgettable, so I can’t wait for them to get their hands on this.”

Knueppel has been nothing short of spectacular in his debut NBA campaign. He is averaging 19.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game, while shooting 48.7% from the field and 43.6% from beyond the arc.

Knueppel boasts the highest 3-point percentage in NBA history for a player who averages three or more made 3-pointers per game. For reference, Stephen Curry is shooting 42.2% from downtown in his career.

The Hornets selected Knueppel with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. He is the current favorite to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award. His former Duke teammate, Cooper Flagg, trails closely behind him. While Kon Knueppel would welcome individual accolades, he’s most focused on team success.

“The main focus is what I can do for the Charlotte Hornets and for the organization,” Knueppel told Men’s Journal on Wednesday. “And I felt like if we had a decent amount of team success and that I played well enough, that could really help me. That’s kind of been my focus always with any sort of award, high school, college. Focus on what you can do to help your team win games and then let the rest of that stuff take care of itself.

“… I didn’t expect the role to be as big as it has turned out to be. … I think a lot of that had to do with injuries as well, having guys hurt. So I had to really, from the get-go, be really aggressive and start the season off almost like a number one option with LaMelo out for some nights and Brandon Miller out for most nights.”