There’s a new sheriff in town. Drafted in 17e position by the Los Angeles Lakers, Dalton Knecht is making a lot of teams regret not having bet on him. Partly shunned because of his “advanced” age, 23, the winger, who sometimes plays at fullback, has had a string of cards in recent weeks, with staggering success percentages.
19 points against Memphis, 14 against San Antonio, 27 points in New Orleans and especially 37 points against Utah, on the night of Tuesday November 19 to Wednesday November 20. For 68% average shooting success, and a few rebounds and passes in his pocket. At three points, his major asset, he is on fire: 9 out of 12 during the last meeting and more than 46% success in the exercise since the start of the season. So much so that the Lakers debutant has become one of the darlings of Los Angeles and is now one of the potential best rookies of the year. Here are five things to know about Dalton Knecht (pronounced K-Nekt).
“Eleven days late” and late hatching
This is an anecdote noted by the newspaper The Team . In an interview given at the University of Tennessee, Dalton Knecht’s last school before arriving in the NBA, his mother, Carrie, says that her son was born with “eleven days late on the due date”.
Born in Fargo, North Dakota, on April 19, 2001, Dalton Knecht did not have a clear path to the NBA. “Energetic child”he did not play basketball during his sophomore year in high school. The reason? Insufficient academic results. And as the American school system links grades and sports practice…
Small (1.63 m) as a teenager, Dalton Knecht did not go to the NCAA directly. He passed, in relative anonymity, through Northeastern Junior College then Northern Colorado. Before landing in Tennessee, where he has a blast, averaging 21 points in 2023-2024 and confirms his late bloom. Today he is 1.98 m tall. “I really thought he would grow up late, like me”confided his father, Corey Knecht, au New York Times. At 23, he is shining at the Lakers.
His name is Dalton because of… Patrick Swayze
No story of the Wild West and highwaymen for Dalton Knecht. But a first name taken from a film by… Patrick Swayze. The name of the main character of the film Road House1989 action film, is James Dalton.
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Asked about this unusual first name, the Lakers winger smiled: “It’s an old movie. I looked at it, and it’s honestly not too bad! »
“People thought I was lying”: LeBron James already a fan
Even before his arrival, Dalton Knecht was dubbed the king of Los Angeles (and the NBA). LeBron James was delighted with this Lakers draft choice, ensuring that he was a fan of this player and that he followed him to the NCAA last season. Often mocked this summer for this statement, the King took his revenge. “I don’t know what to tell you. The same as last year. Everyone on the Internet called me a liar… What now? »
Relaunched on this good pick from Los Angeles, he took the opportunity to gently tackle the other franchises. “The Lakers didn’t find Dalton Knecht, it was the other 16 teams that screwed up. Has anyone watched him play? What the hell is this? »
He already tied a three-point record
This is its major asset. With a fluid and fast shooting mechanic, Dalton Knecht wasted no time in finding his three-point carburetion. Until this immense heatwave, on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday against Utah: 9 out of 12 from long distance for 37 points in total.
“In the second period, it seemed like everyone in the room knew Dalton Knecht was going to take the next shot, except for a few people. The problem is that these few people were on our team”Utah Jazz coach Will Hardy said afterward.
With this performance, he tied the record for three-pointers made in a game by a rookie. He joins Yogi Ferrell, Keyonte George and… Frenchman Rodrigue Beaubois! Until ten days ago, Dalton Knecht was not in the NBA table in the race for the best rookie. Today, he makes a sensational entrance to the 3e place, just in front of Zaccharie Risacher. Benefiting from the confidence of his trainer, JJ Reddick, he could continue his crazy rise.
Fan of Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant
The former Tennessee player has always made no secret of his fondness for Kevin Durant, one of the most fluid and efficient players in the NBA in years. An outstanding marker, “KD” is a source of inspiration for Dalton Knecht, despite very different measurements. Ironically, Dalton was even trained, at Tennessee, by one of Kevin Durant’s mentors, Rick Barnes.
“I’m not comparing him to Kevin Durant in any way, but he can learn from what he does, Barnes told The Athletic. The only thing he has in common with KD is that he can’t do without the gym. He likes it, the smell, the noise… He’s a gym rat, as they say. »
But Dalton Knecht was also not unhappy to land at the Lakers and not at Kevin Durant’s Phoenix Suns. His first basketball jersey? “At age 11, my first jersey was a Christmas edition of a Kobe Bryant Lakers jersey, white with purple. Being on the Lakers, for me, is the opportunity of a lifetime. » He knew how to grasp it.
