Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht reveals his first NBA jersey was a Kobe Bryant Christmas Special with all-white and purple accents 

Dalton Knecht, the No. 17 pick by the LA Lakers in the 2024 NBA draft, shared a wholesome memory that makes it feel like his career in the NBA was always meant to start with the Purple and Gold. The Tennessee Volunteers guard fell off the ladder after initially being looked at as one of the Top 10 picks.

He had a lengthy college career starting at Northeastern Junior College, followed by Northern Colorado and ended at Tennessee. The journeyman career paid off as he was named the 2023-24 SEC Player of the Year.

With Indiana basketball center Kel'el Ware selected by the Miami Heat at No. 15, and Duke's Jared McCain selected by the Philadephia 76ers at No. 16, the Lakers had a chance to draft Knecht and social media has been buzzing since. As for the rookie, the LA Lakers connection runs deeper as he had an interesting answer about his first NBA jersey:

"Kobe jersey that he wore, all-white Christmas special with purple accents."

Dalton Knecht comes off an impressive season with the Volunteers, averaging 21.7 points per game while shooting 45.8% from the field and 39.7% from downtown. His catch-and-shoot and pace to breeze past defenders make him an impressive shooting option for LA alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

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Rob Pelinka heaps lavish praise on Dalton Knecht

Soon after drafting Knecht, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka addressed the media and lavished rich praise on the guard. He even joked that the new LA head coach JJ Redick had already begun drawing up plans for the rookie:

"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.

I was at the SEC Tournament, scouting him extensively, and in my mind, there’s no way a player like this can be available for us to pick on draft night. So across the board just couldn’t be happier. I was joking with Coach Redick upstairs that we found a movement shooter to match his skills as a player. So I think his kind is already working on drawing up plays for Dalton," Pelinka said.

That said, Knecht's defense is still a work in progress. He comes in with notable advantages with catch-and-shoot 3s and delivered some stunning offensive performances late this season. He notched up a 40-point game against Kentucky and followed it up with a 37-point outing against Purdue in the Elite Eight. Could he be the find of the season for LA?