The Charlotte Hornets made two picks in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft Tuesday night, and they share a unique connection. Hannes Steinbach (No. 14 overall) is a native of Germany, playing for their national team. As for Christian Anderson, although he's a native of Atlanta, Georgia, he also plays for the German national team and holds dual citizenship between both America and Germany.
Although they played for two different colleges (Washington and Texas Tech), this adds a level of familiarity for one another as they enter the league together with Charlotte. Following his selection, Anderson expressed confidence in himself and Steinbach as a duo, saying, "It's going to be a day one connection; ain't no better connection in the draft. I'm just ready to get to work." While it has yet to be seen in the NBA, some could argue that Steinbach and Anderson have a deeper connection than some college teammates, having spent three years together as part of Germany's U19 team.
The Hornets enacted a similar strategy at last year's NBA Draft, selecting Duke teammates Kon Knueppel and Sion James, as both selections worked out quite well for the franchise.
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Hornets' recent first-round picks share unique connection