Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James heaped reward on rookie wing Dalton Knecht on Tuesday night time after Knecht erupted for a team-high 37 factors in a 124-118 win over the Utah Jazz.

After reporters requested James in regards to the Lakers entrance workplace “discovering” Knecht within the 2024 NBA draft at No. 17 general, LeBron made it clear that he felt it was extra a case of the groups selecting forward of the Lakers screwing up than L.A. discovering a diamond within the tough:

“They didn’t ‘find’ DK,” James said. “The other 16 teams f–ked it up. Did anybody watch him? S–t. They just didn’t f–k it up. You don’t ‘find’ a SEC Player of the Year.”

As part of his 37 points, Knecht set the single-game NBA rookie record for three-pointers made with nine, including going 6-for-6 in the third quarter.

Last year, during his lone season at Tennessee after transferring from Northern Colorado, Knecht averaged 21.7 points per game and was named SEC Player of the Year.

James publicly praised Knecht’s play during his time at Tennessee, and when asked Tuesday what he saw in Knecht at the time, LeBron made a quip about those who accuse him of lying when he discusses things in retrospect:

The 39-year-old veteran added that he thought it would be “impossible” for Knecht to fall to the Lakers at No. 17 overall, but is “very grateful and very happy” that it happened.

Knecht himself admitted to reporters that he was “a little bit” surprised he fell to No. 17 in the draft, but he noted that it worked out in the end since it allowed him to land with James, Anthony Davis and the Lakers:

Pretty much as good as Knecht was at Tennessee, the 23-year-old was additionally older than most different prospects within the draft, which probably contributed to his fall to No. 17.

Purdue heart Zach Edey was the one faculty senior to go within the lottery, and one other did not come off the board till Knecht was chosen.

That call is paying early dividends for the Lakers, as he not solely tied the rookie file for made three-pointers in a sport, however he additionally turned solely the fourth totally different participant in Lakers historical past to make a minimum of 9 triples in a sport, becoming a member of LeBron, D’Angelo Russell and Kobe Bryant.

Total, Knecht shot 12-of-16 from the sphere and 9-of-12 from past the arc in the perfect sport of his younger profession, which helped the Lakers enhance to 10-4 on the season and 2-0 in NBA Cup play.

After an up-and-down begin to the season, Knecht has now scored in double figures in 4 straight video games, together with 27 or extra factors in every of the previous two.

His 11.3 factors per sport are sixth on the group, however he’s tied with LeBron for second on the group with 2.3 three-pointers made per contest, and he’s taking pictures a scorching 46.4 p.c from past the arc.

The Lakers weren’t capable of get a giant commerce carried out in the course of the offseason so as to add a 3rd star to play alongside James and Davis, however Knecht was a significant addition in his personal proper and has clearly made the Lakers extra formidable.