Ryan Kalkbrenner

Five years of dominance at Creighton, four Big East Defensive Player of the Year awards, and a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award all culminated inside a freshly renovated Spectrum Center on opening night. The 7-foot-1 center from St. Louis wasted no time asserting himself at the NBA level, cutting through the paint with soft hands and veteran-level timing on his way to a near-perfect shooting performance. Kalkbrenner controlled the glass on both ends, swatted away attempts at the rim, and became just the second player in Hornets franchise history to post a double-double in his NBA debut, joining Emeka Okafor's 2004 effort as the only other. The 34th overall pick finished the October 22, 2025 victory over the Brooklyn Nets with 10 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks on 5-of-6 shooting.

Rookie Year

Rookie Mint