Lebron James says besides Bronny, Dalton Knecht 'was my favorite player in college basketball'

Lebron James was just like everyone else entering the first round of the NBA Draft last week. Never didn’t he think Dalton Knecht’s name would still be on the board once the Los Angeles Lakers had their turn with the No. 17 overall pick.

“I didn’t know he would fall to 17, at all,” James told reporters in Las Vegas on Saturday, “so I didn’t think we would have an opportunity to get him. But I’m glad we did. I’m glad we did.”

James knows exactly what Knecht brings to the table after watching his Tennessee games last season. He knows exactly what the talented wing is capable of, describing himself as a fan of Knecht’s long before the two became teammates. 

“Throughout the course of the college season, Dalton, besides Bronny (James), was my favorite player in college basketball,” James said. “I watched his games throughout the whole season. 

“I just liked his ability to shoot the ball, his athleticism, his height, his demeanor that he played with. I’ve always kind of felt like his game would translate to the NBA.”

Dalton Knecht made NBA Summer League debut on Saturday

Knecht made his NBA debut Saturday, scoring 12 points to go with four assists in the Lakers’ first Summer League game in the California Classic against the Sacramento Kings. Bronny James, the Lakers’ pick in the second round at No. 55 overall, scored four points in his debut.

Lebron James mentioned Knecht by name back in March, during a locker room media session. He was discussing how star power can carry television ratings, mentioning the fact that he watched Tennessee’s Elite Eight game against Purdue because it was Knecht against Zach Edey.

“You’re going to watch Purdue because of Zach Edey,” James said at the time, “because he’s a great player. We watched that Purdue-Tennessee game because of Zach Edey and Knecht. Players, depending on who they are, will drive the attention when it comes to viewership.”

The mention brought plenty of attention to Knecht’s phone, which started blowing up the next morning. 

“I woke up and rolled out of bed and I thought it was fake,” Knecht said on draft night, “because tons of people were texting me. I was just like, there’s no way.”

“It feels great to play with one of the greats to ever touch a basketball,” Knecht added. “It’s going to be exciting to go put on a show for L.A.”

Dalton Knecht averaged 21.7 points at Tennessee last season

Knecht entered the draft widely projected as a top-10 pick, but fell out of not only the top 10 but also the lottery, sliding all the way down to the Lakers. 

He averaged 21.7 points per game and 25.5 points in SEC games during his lone season at Tennessee, becoming a consensus First Team All-American, the SEC Player of the Year and the winner of the Julius Erving Award, given annually to college basketball’s best small forward.  

“We would have never imagined a player as skilled and sort of perfect for our needs would be there for us, as Dalton Knecht (was),” Rob Pelinka, LA’s director of basketball operations and general manager, said after the draft. “We had him as a top-10 player unanimously across our scout boards. 

“I was at the SEC Tournament scouting him extensively. In my mind, I was like there’s no way a player could be available for us to pick on draft night. So across the board, just couldn’t be happier.”