LeBron James Offers High Praise to Dalton Knecht

NBA superstar and legend LeBron James had some high praise to offer for former Tennessee Volunteer and current Los Angeles Laker Dalton Knecht.

Jul 6, 2024; San Francisco, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Dalton Knecht (4) between plays against the Sacramento Kings during the fourth quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports / Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

NBA superstar and legend LeBron James had some high praise to offer for former Tennessee Volunteer and current Los Angeles Laker Dalton Knecht.

Former Tennessee Volunteers guard Dalton Knecht officially heard his name called in the 2024 NBA Draft. The Lakers selected him with the No. 17 overall pick.

Now that he is on the Lakers, Knecht will get to suit up against one of the best basketball players in the sport's history. LeBron James has played with the Lakers since 2018 and he was very excited when the organization snagged Knecht in the middle of the first round. Here is what James had to say:

"Throughout the course of the college season, Dalton [Knecht] besides Bronny was my favorite player in college basketball. Watching the games throughout the whole season, I just liked his ability to shoot the ball, his athleticism, his height, his demeanor that he plays with, I always felt like his game would translate to the NBA. I did not think that he would fall to 17 at all," said James.

Knecht had a stellar lone season on Rocky Top, leading the Volunteers to their second Elite 8 appearance in program history. He earned first-team All-American honors to go along with his SEC Player of the Year Award; Knecht averaged 21.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. He was one of the top shooters in the country, attempting 6.5 threes per game and shooting 39.7%.

He also made big waves during the NCAA Tournament, averaging 26 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in four postseason games. Tennessee lost to the Purdue Boilermakers in the Elite 8, ending one of the most magical runs in program history that should propel the Vols into an even higher territory in the coming years.

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