Lakers’ draftee Dalton Knecht shared how he felt when LeBron James praised him while talking about March Madness months ago.

The Lakers selected Dalton Knecht with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, bringing the 23-year-old SEC Player of the Year onto the franchise as a win-now piece ahead of the 2024-25 season.

LeBron James has been a fan of Knecht from earlier this season, praising him during March Madness. Knecht reflected on that praise after being drafted by the Lakers.

“I remember that clip, I woke up, rolled out of bed, and thought that was fake because tons of people were texting me. I was like, ‘There’s no way.’ When I watched that video, it just brought a smile to my face, and also my parents. They called me right away and told me about it.

That’s just going to be special, and it’s going to be fun just to be sharing the court with both of them, AD and ‘Bron, ‘Bron is one of the greatest, so it’s going to be real special.”

LeBron’s praise about Knecht was brief, praising the attention players like him and Zach Edey bring to NCAA basketball.

“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 attention.”

The statement was after an NCAA matchup between Kneckt’s Tennessee Volunteers and Edey’s Purdue Boilermakers, who were the two-best ranked teams in the country at the time. Purdue won the game 72-66 despite an incredible performance from Knecht, who went off for 37 points.

Knecht averaged 1.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists on 45.8% shooting, including 39.7% from deep in his final season with the Tennessee Volunteers, winning SEC Player of the Year, and entering the NBA Draft. He was expected to be drafted higher than No. 17, but concerns about his age led to a fall in the order before he fell into the hands of the Lakers.

Coach JJ Redick had a similar scoring profile to Knecht in his college days, with the new head coach already drawing up plays to feature their first-round draft pick in the Lakers offense.

Dalton Knecht Reacts To Being Drafted By The Lakers
Knecht is beyond excited to play for the Lakers, reacting to being drafted by the franchise while speaking to Monica McNutt after his name was called.

“It’s a dream come true, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s just a blessing, that’s all I can say. I’m lost for words and I’m ready to get to work.”

Knecht will have to be ready to work extremely hard to secure his spot on the Lakers. While his theoretical scoring prowess in the NBA was good enough to make him a first-round draft pick, he will have to earn a spot in the Lakers rotation based on strong play on the court.

If D’Angelo Russell returns to the franchise this summer, Knecht will likely find himself on the bench behind Austin Reaves. He’ll even have to fight for minutes against Max Christie, a well-developing young shooting guard who the Lakers drafted in the 2022 second round.

The work begins now for Knecht. People think he’s the finished product, which led to his slide down the Draft board. He will be motivated to outplay the 16 picks before him and help the Lakers contend as a rookie.

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