{"product_id":"2025-26-topps-chrome-kon-knueppel-rookie-card-254-raywave-refractor-hornets","title":"2025-26 Topps Chrome Kon Knueppel Rookie Card #254 RayWave Refractor Hornets","description":"\u003cp\u003eKon Knueppel arrived in the NBA as the \u003cstrong\u003eNo. 4 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft\u003c\/strong\u003e, selected by the Charlotte Hornets straight out of one season at Duke — where he earned \u003cstrong\u003eACC Tournament MVP honors\u003c\/strong\u003e playing alongside Cooper Flagg. He wasted no time justifying the hype: \u003cstrong\u003e18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game\u003c\/strong\u003e in his rookie season earned him a spot on the \u003cstrong\u003eNBA All-Rookie First Team\u003c\/strong\u003e, a Rookie of the Month nod, and a starring role in Charlotte's playoff push. With LaMelo Ball now gone, Knueppel is the face of the franchise — and his rookie paper is only getting more relevant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis card is his \u003cstrong\u003e2025-26 Topps Chrome Rookie Card #254\u003c\/strong\u003e in the \u003cstrong\u003eRayWave Refractor\u003c\/strong\u003e parallel — a retail-exclusive finish that delivers a distinctive, rippling wave pattern layered over Topps' signature chromium stock. The RayWave parallel is \u003cstrong\u003eexclusive to mega box retail configurations\u003c\/strong\u003e, making it a format-specific find that hobby box hunters simply cannot pull. It's an unnumbered parallel, which means the rainbow chaser and the PC builder both want it, and supply is naturally limited to what cracked open those retail boxes at release.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSet:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2025-26 Topps Chrome Basketball — Topps' flagship return to NBA chromium\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCard #254\u003c\/strong\u003e — Kon Knueppel Rookie Card (RC)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eParallel:\u003c\/strong\u003e RayWave Refractor — mega box retail exclusive with a bold wave-pattern finish\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePlayer:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2025 NBA Draft Pick #4, Charlotte Hornets, \u003cem\u003eNBA All-Rookie First Team (2026)\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComparable Wave Refractor sales\u003c\/strong\u003e have tracked in the $50–$80 range raw; the RayWave sits in the same tier with a more visually distinct surface\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eKnueppel is now the cornerstone of a rebuilding Hornets franchise alongside Brandon Miller. His rookie cards — especially format-exclusive parallels like this \u003cstrong\u003eTopps Chrome RayWave Refractor\u003c\/strong\u003e — are exactly what a long-term PC demands before the prices reflect what Charlotte has on its hands.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAvailable at Collector Station, Easley, SC. Local pickup available. \u003cstrong\u003eAll sales final.\u003c\/strong\u003e Shipping damage must be reported within 48 hours of delivery with photos.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Collector Station","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51258381172988,"sku":null,"price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0786\/1387\/2892\/files\/BEEFD56E-369A-4C2B-8D01-6CAD11D319A8.jpg?v=1789255073","url":"https:\/\/thecollectorstation.com\/products\/2025-26-topps-chrome-kon-knueppel-rookie-card-254-raywave-refractor-hornets","provider":"Collector Station","version":"1.0","type":"link"}