Pierre Haessig / ESPN (DR)

Holders of the 17th choice in the Draft, the Lakers had the pleasant surprise of seeing Dalton Knecht available when making their selection. It remains to be seen whether the speech made a few months ago by LeBron James about him played a role in his arrival.

Like last year, they had the 17th pick in the Draft. However, their fans hoped that they would prove more inspired this time.

It must be said that the Lakers did not necessarily have a hollow nose in selecting Jalen Hood-Schifino, who has not yet shown anything in the NBA and could even already be traded this summer.

The reputation that precedes his successor, however, has reassured more than one in Los Angeles.

LeBron James already a fan of Dalton Knecht?

Promised by most experts to be in the Top 10 of the 2024 Draft, Dalton Knecht finally saw his name drop to 17th position. By taking advantage of this decline, the Lakers would therefore have hit the jackpot according to many observers. And it’s probably not LeBron James who will say the opposite, he who was already complimentary about the now ex-Tennessee star a few months ago:

LeBron James: When you watch a Purdue game, it’s because Zach Edey is there and he’s a great player. The Purdue-Tennessee game, we watched it because Zach Edey and Knecht were on the court. Like, those are the players that get attention and drive TV ratings.

A speech that went somewhat unnoticed at the time, but which takes on a completely different meaning today.

Indeed, Knecht can be honored to have been the subject of such flattering remarks from his new leader. He also reacted to it in the wake of his draft:

Dalton Knecht: I remember this video. I saw it the next morning when I woke up and thought it was fake. Tons of people were messaging me to tell me about it. I was like, “That’s not possible. »

After admiring his prowess on the NCAA courts, LeBron can now hope to benefit from the help of the young shooter.

The latter, already with considerable experience at the age of 23, knows what remains to be done to satisfy the King, namely to deliver services somewhat similar to those he had performed against Zach Edey and Purdue last March:

Sparkling last season in the NCAA, Dalton Knecht could then boast of having been able to capture the attention of a certain LeBron James. From now on, it is alongside the King and in the Lakers jersey that he will have to demonstrate all his talent in the NBA.