NBA
LK
#7

Luke Kornet

Center · San Antonio Spurs · 7'1", 250 lb · Born Jul 15, 1995 · Lexington, Kentucky · Drafted Undrafted, 2017
2026 West Champs2024 Champion (BOS)Kornet KontestRim protector
NBASan Antonio SpursCenters
Compare:vs Foxvs Vassellvs Harpervs Barnesvs Champagnievs Johnson
In short

Luke Kornet is a rim-protecting backup center for the San Antonio Spurs and a 2024 NBA champion. Undrafted out of Vanderbilt in 2017 — where he was the all-time blocks leader — he built a career on efficient interior play and a signature shot-contest technique (the 'Kornet Kontest'). He won the title with Boston, then signed a four-year, $41 million deal with San Antonio in 2025.

Matchup model · next gameMedium confidenceThu, Nov 12
vsToronto RaptorsAggressive hedge & help
Proj. points
6.5
range 3.8–9.2
Line 6.5
50%
to go over
Team win
62%
114–111
Poi 6.5 Lean underReb 6.1 Lean overAss 1.9 Lean underPRA 14.5 Lean under
Likely on himJakob Poeltl· 82 Rim protectionStrong defender
5+ pts69%10+ pts12%

Model lines Kornet at 6.5 pts (range 3.8–9.2) vs a 6.5 line — roughly a coin flip to clear it (50%).

Biggest edge: venue — home floor — small boost.

Full matchup breakdown · all markets →
Balladex Matchup Model — modeled from real roster ratings, scoring baselines & defender-matchup history. Schedule, availability & head-to-head samples are illustrative in this prototype; production wires live schedule, injury & player-tracking feeds. Not betting advice.
✦ Ask anything about Kornet
The Kornet Story — narrated
Tap play to hear his story, told as a 90-second short.
🔊 Prototype uses your browser's built-in voice. Production would use a studio-grade AI narrator.

A cerebral, undrafted big with a signature block — a champion who anchors the Spurs' second unit.

Son of an ex-NBA father and a TV-anchor mother, Kornet was Vanderbilt's all-time blocks leader and went undrafted in 2017.

🏫 VanderbiltUndrafted, 2017

He built a career across the Knicks, Bulls, and Celtics — winning the 2024 NBA title with Boston.

NYK · CHI · BOS🏆 2024 champ

His 'Kornet Kontest' shot-contest became a fan-favorite signature.

🌘 The EclipseKornet Kontest

He signed a four-year, $41M deal with San Antonio in 2025 to back up Wembanyama.

4 yr / $41M🏆 2026 West champs
— end of story —
Want the full numbers? Open the breakdown →
PPG
6.5
2025-26
RPG
6.1
per game
APG
1.9
per game
FG%
.643
LIFE

Roots & the rise

A cerebral, rim-protecting big and 2024 champion — the Spurs' efficient backup center with a signature block.

Luke Francis Kornet was born in Lexington, Kentucky, the son of former Vanderbilt and NBA player Frank Kornet and Nashville news anchor Tracy Kornet. At Vanderbilt he became the school's all-time blocked-shots leader and the NCAA record-holder for three-pointers made by any player 7 feet or taller, once posting a 10-block triple-double. He went undrafted in 2017.

He built a decade-long career across the Knicks, Bulls, and Celtics — winning the 2024 NBA championship with Boston — on efficient interior play and elite shot-contesting. In 2025 he signed a four-year, $41 million deal with San Antonio, giving the Spurs rim protection and finishing behind Victor Wembanyama on a Finals team.

Sources: Wikipedia, NBA.com, Basketball-Reference, ESPN.

BEYOND THE GAME

Beyond the game

Kornet is one of the NBA's more thoughtful figures — a devout Catholic who kept a blog of the churches he visited on road trips, and the son of a two-sport media-and-basketball family (his father played at Vanderbilt and in the NBA, his mother is a longtime TV news anchor). He's married to his wife Tierney and has two children.

His signature is the 'Kornet Kontest' — nicknamed 'The Eclipse' — in which he jumps with both hands raised straight over his head regardless of where the shooter is, a quirky-but-effective deterrent that became a fan favorite. It captures a player who maximizes efficiency and IQ over athleticism, the kind of low-cost, high-feel big that winning teams value.

PERSONALITY

The person

A cerebral, efficient rim-protecting big — elite shot-contesting and finishing over athleticism.

Rim protectorVanderbilt's all-time blocks leader; the signature 'Kornet Kontest' shot deterrent.
Efficient finisherShot over 64% from the field as a roll man and putback threat.
High IQA thoughtful, feel-over-athleticism big who maximizes his role.
PLAYER DNA

Archetype & ratings

Archetype
Rim-Protecting Backup Big
Temperament
Steady
Leadership
58/100
Scoring52
Playmaking40
Rebounding81
Perimeter D58
Rim protection81
Spacing35
Athleticism70
Clutch60
a rim-running, rim-protecting backup center
ANALYSIS

What the numbers say

Efficient interior insurance

Kornet's value is efficient, high-IQ interior play: he finishes at a high percentage as a roll man and putback threat, protects the rim with his signature contest, and rarely makes mistakes. Behind Wembanyama, he gives the Spurs steady, low-cost center minutes without a drop in rim protection — exactly the role a champion big fills.

STATS

Season by season

Per game

SeasonGPMINPTSREBASTFG%3P%
2025-266821.06.56.11.9.643

Source: Basketball-Reference.

ADVANCED

Advanced & historical

Where he sits in history

2024NBA champion with the Boston Celtics
CollegeVanderbilt's all-time blocks leader; NCAA record for threes by a 7-footer
SignatureThe 'Kornet Kontest' shot-contest technique, dubbed 'The Eclipse'

Hardware

1×
NBA Champion (2024)
OUTLOOK

Where it's headed

AI-generated · updated July 13, 2026

An efficient rim-protecting backup center and champion — interior insurance behind Wembanyama.

On a four-year, $41 million deal, Kornet gives San Antonio efficient finishing, rim protection, and championship experience behind its generational big. His athleticism is limited, but his IQ and efficiency make him a valuable, low-cost center.

Rim protectionStrong
Finishing efficiencyElite
Basketball IQHigh
AthleticismLimited

Contract

Deal
4 yr / $41M signed 2025
Role
Backup C rim protector
Age
30 prime
Bottom line

A cerebral, efficient champion big with a signature block. Behind Wembanyama, exactly the steady, low-cost rim protection a contender wants.

FAQ

Quick answers

What is the 'Kornet Kontest'?

Luke Kornet's signature shot-contest — he jumps with both hands raised straight overhead regardless of the shooter's distance, a deterrent nicknamed 'The Eclipse.'

Did Luke Kornet win a championship?

Yes — the 2024 NBA title with the Boston Celtics, before signing with San Antonio in 2025.

Was Luke Kornet drafted?

No — he went undrafted in 2017 out of Vanderbilt, where he was the all-time blocks leader.