Whenever asked, ‘Who is the greatest basketball player of all time?’, many NBA enthusiasts will name LeBron James. But when the same question is asked to one of LeBron’s teammates, presumably, the King will be the obvious choice. However, Dalton Knecht doesn’t seem to think so. While answering the most common question from the world of basketball, the rookie avoided naming King James.
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As the 17th pick in the 2024 NBA draft by the Lakers, the Tennessee Volunteers guard answered some rapid-fire questions on SLAM. Notably, this interview was conducted before the Lakers drafted him.
When asked who is the best NBA player of all time, in his opinion, the 23-year-old said, “Kevin Durant.” Since Knecht answered it quickly, it seems like he is a fan of KD. However, he might not have been aware that he would soon share a locker room with another all-time great LeBron James.
Other than snubbing his future teammate, he answered the rest of the questions with the same excitement. He named Candace Parker the greatest WNBA player of all time, the Denver Nuggets as the best basketball team, Tony Allen as the best defender, and Rick Barnes as the best coach.
When asked about his go-to pregame hype song, Knecht said, “Some type of Future song.” And if the GOAT snub wasn’t enough, the 2024 SEC Player of the Year snubbed his future teammate yet again when he was asked about the best basketball movie of all time.
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He named Space Jam, a 1996 movie featuring the great Michael Jordan, instead of Space Jam: A New Legacy which featured LeBron James. The 23-year-old also gave his prediction for the next NBA and WNBA Finals. He said that whatever team he is on will win the title in 2025 and that he is backing the Aces to win the WNBA title yet again.
While his confidence about winning the championship next season is admirable, it’ll be better if Knecht is ready with an explanation for his recent answers. There might be a possibility that his answers from the interview would be brought up in the locker room.
Even if LBJ and his teammates give the rookie a pass for picking KD as his GOAT, hyping up the Nuggets while he represents the Lakers is going to be a problem Knecht will have to deal with soon. More than his answers, Lakers fans might be willing to see his speed on the floor. He will surely have an opportunity to make up for it.
