One cannot expect King James to incorrectly assess a young NBA prospect. Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James spotted Dalton Knecht’s talent a year back. However, very few believed James’ words, as Knecht was touted as one of the older rookies this year. Thus, coming into the draft, Knecht lost significant interest from other teams.
As a result, the 23-year-old found himself in a spot of bother, drastically getting demoted to no. 17 on the draft board. But James was adamant as he knew what exactly the rookie had to offer. Thus, Knecht landed up with the purple and gold brigade, and since then, it has been an upward journey for the Tennessee star.
LeBron James on publicly praising Dalton Knecht last season: “Everybody on the Internet called me a liar all the time. What am I now?” LeBron conceded surprise Knecht dropped to No. 17 pic.twitter.com/KUtgY8YhvO
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) November 20, 2024
James became overly excited to see the youngster taking on the big guns. Thus, he could not help but drop a ‘F-bomb’ about the ones who underestimated Knecht. “They didn’t find DK, the other 16 teams f**ked it up… Didn’t anybody watch him? F**k!” James exclaimed to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
LeBron James on the Lakers front office drafting Dalton Knecht: “They didn’t find DK … the other 16 teams f—-ed it up” pic.twitter.com/agmO547mnW
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 20, 2024
Having dropped a career-high 37 points against the Utah Jazz, Knecht made some history en route. 37 was the highest number of points dropped by a rookie this season. The 23-year-old also tied the NBA rookie record with most three-pointers in a game by shooting nine 3s. And quite expectedly, the rookie has been praised by a lot of his teammates. Anthony Davis recently had an interesting take on Dalton Knecht.
Anthony Davis Explains His ‘Frustration’ Regarding Dalton Knecht
After impressing with 27 points against the Pelicans, Anthony Davis was asked about his take on Dalton Knecht. Interestingly, Davis mentioned a few factors that apparently ‘frustrates and upsets’ Knecht’s Lakers’ teammates. “Every time he shoots the ball, I think it’s going in… That’s why we get so frustrated and upset when he doesn’t shoot,” Davis stated in an interaction with FreeDawkins.
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However, he also praised the rookie and called him a “great player.” Davis also acknowledged the young gun for his exceptional shooting abilities. Thus, with Dalton Knecht creating some big ripples, it remains to be seen how he can continue the momentum forward.
