‘A cool feeling’: Hornets introduce 2025 NBA Draft picks in Charlotte
There was a different feeling shooting around with the Charlotte Hornets.
Many players on the Queen City’s NBA team were hanging around while NBA Draft prospects worked out. This wasn’t something future draftees noticed in every organization, and players formed lasting connections with the prospective talent.
Charlotte introduced its 2025 NBA Draft class — Kon Knueppel, Liam McNeeley, Sion James and Ryan Kalkbrenner — in a news conference Friday at Lowe’s Tech Hub in South End.
The newest Hornets are ecstatic to help their team reach the next level.
“I was getting texts from the guys pretty soon after I got drafted,” McNeeley said. “I mean, this is a cool feeling. NBA players are texting me. That’s pretty cool. But there’s a lot of talent on this team — a lot of young talent — and I’m super excited that this group is going to add to that.”
A new camaraderie with the Hornets
Knueppel felt like he was a part of something immediately in Charlotte.
While head coach Charles Lee had told the No. 4 overall pick about how the Hornets tend to watch each other work out, Knueppel really noticed it when he practiced with Charlotte ahead of the NBA Draft. That level of interest just wasn’t there with most other teams, he said, and he had players calling and texting him the night and day after his selection.
The sharpshooter is ecstatic to be in Charlotte — and sees his game being particularly well-rounded, beyond his prowess behind the arc. While 3-point shooting has always been a key part of his game, he feels he’s shown his skills through ball screens, attacking closeouts and just crafty play.
“I’m super excited to be just down the road from where I was,” Kneuppel said. “Having that support from Duke and those fans in North Carolina is gonna be huge. It’s great to be back here.”
North Carolina connections to Charlotte
James already feels at home in North Carolina.
Like his new teammates, the 6-foot-6 guard who played last year at Duke sensed a real interest from pretty much everybody in the Hornets’ locker room. It seemed like people from the entire organization wanted to get to know him, as well to help one another improve as they all try to build something special.
And it’s especially meaningful for James — the Georgia native who’s a two-time nonprofit founder and major community presence — to be staying in the Southeast.
“I was only at Duke for a year, and I just started getting comfortable,” James said. “By the time I started really enjoying Durham and enjoying North Carolina, it was time to wrap it up. So it’s nice to be able to play here now, playing in Charlotte — and really getting involved here.”
‘It’s going to be a lot of fun being on the same team’
Kalkbrenner couldn’t forget about one player after a home loss in February.
The Hornets’ new 7-foot-1 center remembers McNeeley’s 38-point performance in a 70-66 UConn victory at Creighton. As much as McNeeley impresses with his defense, a massive scoring night carried his Huskies to a pivotal Big East road win.
While McNeeley drew laughs as he noted that playing for Dan Hurley opened him up to a “real intense coach,” both players noted how they’re excited to be playing side by side.
“I’m glad to be on the same team as Liam this time,” Kalkbrenner said. “High-level scorer — found that out in Omaha when he dropped (38 points) on us — and hopefully I’ll be on the same side of that this time. High-level competitor, high-level scorer, and it’s going to be a lot of fun being on the same team.”
This story was originally published June 27, 2025 at 2:47 PM.
