"The Brotherhood": Duke fans excited for Kon Kneuppel and Sion James link up at Charlotte Hornets

Former Duke stars Kon Kneuppel and Sion James are heading into the NBA together, reuniting at the Charlotte Hornets. The two former Blue Devils were both selected in the 2025 NBA draft, and fans expressed their excitement as Duke celebrated their link-up with a post on Instagram.

“Buzz City Brotherhood 🐝😈,” read the caption from Duke’s official page on Saturday.

Kneuppel was selected with the fourth overall pick after a standout freshman season, where he lit it up as one of the best pure shooters in college basketball. His ability to score efficiently from anywhere on the floor helped him become one of the top draft prospects in the class.

Meanwhile, Sion James, who spent most of his college years at Tulane before transferring to Duke for his final season, was taken in the second round with the 33rd pick. He added veteran leadership and defensive grit during his one year at Durham.

Fans of both Duke and the Hornets took to the comments to celebrate the duo’s reunion.

“So excited about these two being/playing together in Charlotte!! 🤩💙,” one fan said.

“Thrilled they're staying together in NC. See you in Charlotte!,” another wrote.

“Hornets won the draft this year,” added another.

Image Credit: IG/@dukembb

More fans praised the Duke connection:

“THE BROTHERHOOD,” a user said.

“Brotherhood lives on,” another commented.

“Good luck Kon and Sion. I hope you both thrive in the new environment,” a third added.

Image Credit: IG/@dukembb

With Kneuppel’s shooting and James’ all-around play, Hornets fans will be hoping this Duke connection brings new energy to the team.

Coach K crowns Cooper Flagg the greatest freshman in Duke history

Mike Krzyzewski was the head coach of Duke for many years and saw his fair share of greatness, but he believes Cooper Flagg is the best freshman to have played in the program. He made this bold claim on SiriusXM College Radio, and on Tuesday, Bleacher Report posted it on Instagram.

“Cooper, in his freshman year, is definitely the best freshman that has ever played [for Duke]," Krzyzewski said.

“I work for the NBA now, and I was just at their Board of Governors meetings, and one of the talks I had with a couple of owners was that we need to have those American stars. We have a lot of international stars. I think five of the last six MVPs, or maybe six out of six. And Cooper can be that. Hopefully, he stays hungry and healthy. His future will be incredible.”

Flagg dominated college basketball in the 2024-25 season, winning the player of the season while leading Duke in every major stat, including points (19.2), rebounds (7.5), assists (4.2), steals (1.4) and blocks (1.4) per game.