"Bron, one of the greatest": Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht reacts to video of LeBron James shouting him out

LeBron James was linked to the newest LA Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht months ago when the Tennessee Volunteers forward was turning a lot of heads with his performances. LeBron was one of the many who paid attention to Knecht and even told reporters how good he was a couple of months ago.

"We watched that Purdue-Tennessee game because of Zach Edey and (Dalton) Knecht. Players — depending on who they are — will drive the attention when it comes to viewership," James said.

After being selected by the Lakers with the No. 17 overall pick, Knecht recalled that moment, explaining to Lakers reporter Mike Trudell that he didn't believe it was a real video at the beginning until his parents convinced him of the opposite. He gave a shoutout to James, too, calling him one of the greatest players ever:

“I remember that clip, I woke up, rolled out of bed and thought that was fake because tons of people were texting me. I was like, ‘There’s no way.’

"When I watched that video, it just brought a smile to my face, and also my parents. They called me right away and told me about it. That’s just going to be special, and it’s going to be fun just to be sharing the court with both of them, AD and 'Bron, 'Bron one of the greatest, so it’s going to be real special.”

There wasn't a clear candidate for the Lakers to choose at No. 17 ahead of night 1 of the draft. They saw that Knecht was still available and went with a potential draft steal. He's a terrific shooter who went through every step of the journey to be where he is and now will get to play with a legendary franchise.

Rob Pelinka explains why the Lakers picked Dalton Knecht

Lakers GM Rob Pelinka admitted he was surprised to know that Knecht was still available at 17. He didn't hesitate and made the call, landing an intriguing prospect for the Lakers.

“We would've never imagined a player as skilled and sort of perfect for our needs would be there for us as Dalton Knecht. We had him as a top-10 player unanimously across our scouting boards," Pelinka said.

Moreover, he said that new Lakers HC JJ Redick was already planning ways to utilize Dalton Knecht's shooting abilities.

The Lakers have a good one in their hands and they could finish the draft like big winners Thursday.