Cavs center Thomas Bryant thought he had the rookie, until he didn’t.

PublishedDecember 22, 2025 9:56 PM EST•UpdatedDecember 23, 2025 12:45 AM EST

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Cleveland Cavaliers center Thomas Bryant learned the hard way that karma moves quicker than Donovan Mitchell in transition.

Bryant was on the wrong side of a replay after backing down Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel for a hook shot. 

The journeyman center couldn’t resist an over-the-top celebration … so Bryant flexed his way downcourt, hitting the “too small” gesture at the 20-year-old. Then, gravity struck. Hard.

Bryant tripped over thin air, barrel-rolling across the hardwood as he ran back on defense. The Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse crowd went from cheers to raspberries … with the tumbling Bryant looking very small on the floor.

WATCH:

There’s no question Bryant wishes he were riding the same high that Kon has all season. 

The rook is leading the Rookie of the Year race, averaging 19.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists. While Bryant celebrated his layup against a smaller defender, Knueppel celebrated his 100th made three-point shot in just 29 games. 

Social media roasted the big man for celebrating too early. “Ball don’t lie is undefeated. Don’t disrespect the opponent when you’re ‘Thomas Bryant,’” one fan posted on X.

The 6-foot-10 vet, who inked a deal with Cleveland this offseason to add some interior muscle, is not expected to do much from the limited scorer.

Go for the fist pump next time, pal.

Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela

What: Charlotte Hornets (9-19) (3-11 away) at Cleveland Cavaliers (15-14) (9-8 home)

When: 7:00pm Eastern

Where: Rocket Arena; Cleveland, OH

How to watch: Peacock, FanDuel Sports Network, NBA League Pass

Outfitting: Hornets–Statement (purple), Cavaliers–City (orange)

Game Lines: Hornets +9.5, Hornets money line +310, O/U 238.5

Injuries:
Hornets: LaMelo Ball-probable (wrist), Ryan Kalkbrenner-questionable (elbow), Collin Sexton-doubtful (quad), Grant Williams-out (knee)

Cavaliers: Donovan Mitchell-probable (illness), Craig Porter Jr.-probable (illness), Sam Merrill-probable (hand), Evan Mobley-out (calf), Larry Nance Jr-out (calf), Max Strus-out (foot)

The Hornets are finally getting healthier (for now). LaMelo Ball clearly tweaked his wrist getting knocked over during a brutally physical game against the Pistons, but he seems to be no worse for the wear. Kalkbrenner apparently took a knock too, but he could still gut it out. Sexton probably isn’t playing, but the fact that he’s gone from out to doubtful means that he’s close. That leaves Grant Williams as the only remaining injured Hornet as he works back from the torn ACL he suffered last year. Knock on wood.

They should be feeling good about their chances tonight. They may have gotten drubbed by the Pistons, but they will remember that they beat this very seem Cavs team in this very same arena just eight days ago. Kon Knueppel led the way with 29 points while Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges chipped in decent games as well. And LaMelo didn’t even play. He’s only going to add to the offensive firepower.

The Cavs, meanwhile, played two games against the Bulls between that last meeting and now, and they lost them both by double digits. Both games followed roughly the same pattern. The Cavs were able to score just fine, but they had no answer for a Bulls offense that’s pretty mediocre. A Hornets team with LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel should have no problem scoring points. They’ll just need to keep Donovan Mitchell reasonably in check, and they have a chance to take another game in Cleveland.

Related

CLEVELAND — Jim Petras is leading Cleveland Heights in turning the next page in its governance, assuming office as city’s newly-elected mayor in January.

“[I’m] very grateful to our current mayor, Tony Cuda, for allowing me total access to our city staff. I’ve been listening and learning from them, and I look forward to taking over on Jan. 1,” Petras said.

Petras is a longtime Cleveland Heights resident and lifelong midwesterner, growing up in Pittsburgh and moving to Ohio to attend Case Western Reserve University. He’s served on city council since 2024, and now, is marking a pivotal moment in the city’s history.

Beginning next year, Petras said, he will become the only openly LGBTQ mayor in Ohio.

“Here in Cleveland Heights our motto is, ‘All are welcome.’ And so I look forward to being a good leader for that motto, and helping us to live up to that motto,” Petras said.

Around 400,000 LGBTQ adults live in Ohio, but the community continues to facing underrepresentation in state and municipal government. Petras’ win could soon help bridge that gap.

Constituent Harriet Applegate said she’s looking forward to seeing more representation of the community in local government.

“We have as much diversity of talent as we have diversity of ethnicities and people and lifestyles,” she said. “We’ve got so much talent, and much of that talent is willing to give up itself and help out the city.”

Cleveland Heights has a number of LGBTQ inclusive policies, including a ban on conversion therapy, gender-neutral parental leave and declaring itself a “safe haven” for gender-related care.

Still, Applegate said, Petras’ win could lead to major changes across all communities. 

She said she’s hoping to see Petras address several longstanding issues around the city.

“There’s something of a racial divide, and I think that needs to be addressed. I think the new mayor has plans to do that,” Applegate said. “… He campaigned on, you know, fixing the streets, and that’s huge for people. I mean, just the basic city services have not been met for the last few years.”

Petras’ mayoral campaign included improving city infrastructure and boosting the local economy, which he said, continue to be among his top priorities.

“I’m focused on getting our 2024 audit completed, and I’m also very interested in our core city services,” he said. “So that means improving our snow plowing leaf pickup, doing a better job with resurfacing streets. And I also want to build relationships with nearby cities and other organizations.”

And while his term hasn’t officially begun, Petras said, he’s already kickstarting plans for building a better future for the city.

“We’re sitting down with staff to learn more about our current snow removal process. I look forward to diving in more deeply,” Petras said. “Also looking forward to putting together, for example, a five-year plan for our streets so that we can make sure that our streets are in good shape and that none of them get forgotten about.”