Basketball superstar LeBron James is pleased with the Los Angeles Lakers using the 17th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft to acquire guard Dalton Knecht from the University of Tennessee.

Basketball superstar LeBron James is pleased with the Los Angeles Lakers using the 17th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft to acquire guard Dalton Knecht from the University of Tennessee.

In an interview this spring in the Lakers locker room, James discussed how college-level stars like Caitlin Clark in the women’s tournament or Zach Edey in the men’s tournament help boost viewership in the NCAA tournament.

“You’re going to watch Purdue because of Zach Edey,” James said. “Because he’s a great player. We watched the Purdue-Tennessee game because of Zach Edey and Knecht. Players, depending on who they are, are going to get attention when it comes to TV viewers.”

James didn’t go into detail about Knecht’s play on the court, but he got to know the 23-year-old guard during his first and only season at Tennessee.

The University of Tennessee fell short in the Elite Eight, losing 72–66 to Purdue, but Knecht excelled under the national spotlight. In 37 minutes, Knecht scored a team-high 37 points, shooting 14 of 31 from the field and 6 of 10 from three-point range, clearly making a good impression on James.

Of course, there’s no guarantee that LeBron James will be Knecht’s teammate next season in Los Angeles. The 38-year-old has until Saturday to decide whether he wants to exercise his $51.4 million option for the 2024-25 season. He could choose to play another season with the Lakers, decline the option and sign a long-term deal with the Lakers or find a new home as a free agent.

After selecting Knecht, the Lakers received the 25th pick in the second round. There was a lot of speculation before the draft that the Lakers could use that pick to bring in James’ eldest son, Bronny James.