When NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. invited NBA Rookie of the Year runner-up Kon Knueppel onto his "Dale Jr. Download" podcast, the seven-time most popular driver found himself in an unexpected role: the starstruck fan. The episode, released on May 13, featured the former Wisconsin Lutheran basketball star—now a rising talent for the Charlotte Hornets—and Earnhardt couldn't hide his excitement.
Knueppel showed up wearing a T-shirt repping 23XI, the NASCAR team co-owned by NBA icon Michael Jordan, but quickly admitted his racing knowledge was next to zero. That was perfectly fine with Earnhardt, who pivoted the conversation to what he really wanted to talk about: basketball. For a full hour, the two dove deep into Knueppel's journey from Milwaukee to Duke and now to the NBA.
They covered everything from his childhood in a basketball-loving household to the gritty details of the recruiting process. Knueppel opened up about the art of shooting, his transition to the pros, and the roller-coaster rookie season that saw him set a franchise record. He also gave fans a glimpse into his preparation for the 2026-27 season, offering a raw look at the grind behind the glamour.
"That first three games of the season, we had a game, day off, and then a back-to-back," Knueppel recalled. "It's like, OK, now we'll rest for three days. It's like, nope, you have maybe one or two days off and then you're playing again. Especially with all the draft prep, you don't really have much of an offseason between college and the draft combine and Summer League. Basically, you're playing for a whole two years straight."
Basketball runs deep in Knueppel's family. His parents, Chari and Kon, both played college ball, and his uncle Jeff Nordgaard enjoyed a professional career after starring at UW-Green Bay. The family legacy continues to grow: three younger brothers helped lead Wisconsin Lutheran to a third straight WIAA championship, alongside cousin Zavier Zenz.
When asked about his offseason routine, Knueppel painted a picture of a family that lives and breathes the game. "We have a full court mini hoop in the playroom," he said. "There was a clip of my brother trying to dunk on LaMelo [Ball] in there. Actually, the first day when I got back, we played two-on-two—absolute barn ball, tackling. My dad was a little worried about someone getting thrown through a window, but that was a spot where we played a lot growing up."
From the hardwood to the racetrack, this was a meeting of two worlds—and one fanboy moment that Earnhardt will never forget.