Dirk Nowitzki Explains Kon Knueppel’s German Last Name

Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki recently explained Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel’s German last name to the general public. Nowitzki, 47, played his entire 21-year NBA career with the Mavericks. He’s often regarded as one of the greatest power forwards of all time.

Knueppel, 20, is an American of German ancestry. It’s unclear if he has been to Germany to learn about his German roots, but it has been reported in the past that his great-grandfather immigrated to the United States from. Knueppel was the fourth overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft.

Nowitzki’s recent explanation came at the right time, just days after the Hornets’ narrow 123-121 victory over the Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. Both Knueppel and Cooper Flagg recorded career-highs of 34 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists, and 49 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists, respectively.

Dirk Nowitzki Explains Kon Knueppel’s German Last Name

At the time of writing, Knueppel appears to be the biggest competitor for the NBA Rookie of the Year award, alongside Flagg. Both Knueppel and Flagg, 19, dominated for their respective teams in their first regular-season meeting on Jan. 29.

Recently, Nowitzki and Knueppel shared a rather humorous moment after the former asked the latter a simple question, per Oh No He Didn’t on X, formerly Twitter. Nowitzki appeared to be curious when he asked Knueppel, “Do you even know what your last name Knueppel means in German?”

Knueppel responded, “I don’t,” just before the 47-year-old explained. Nowitzki said, “Ohh, okay, it’s bat. So you can hit someone with a knueppel over their head. So, you got plenty knueppeling going on. Well, congrats.”

Dirk Nowitzki and Kon Knueppel’s Connection

Nowitzki and Knueppel grew up on opposite continents but appear to be friendly with each other. The recent interaction between the two appears to be a great start to a potential friendship and mentor-mentee relationship.

Nowitzki is known for his scoring, ability, versatility, outside shooting accuracy, and one-legged fadeaway jump shots. Knueppel is known for his shooting, playstyle, and basketball IQ. Now that Knueppel finally knows what his last name means in German, he can thank the Mavericks legend for informing him.

Next Steps

Nowitzki finished his NBA career, averaging 20.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game, along with 47.1% shooting from the field, 38% from three-point range, and 87.9% from the free throw line.

Knueppel is currently averaging 18.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game, along with 48.6% shooting from the field, 42.7% from three-point range, and 89.5% from the free throw line. Knueppel is in his first year in the NBA but has a bright future ahead of him, barring any long-term injuries.

Knueppel’s shooting, including from downtown, has justified any comparisons to veteran shooters, such as Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Durant.