Everything You Need to Know About Lakers Rookie Dalton Knecht’s Incredible 3-Point Shooting
In a noteworthy performance on Tuesday night, Los Angeles Lakers guard Dalton Knecht matched an NBA rookie record by sinking nine 3-point shots during a 124-118 victory at home against the Utah Jazz.
However, his remarkable achievement goes beyond just the count of shots made.
In a spectacular five-minute stretch, while stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis were resting on the bench, the former Tennessee Volunteer scored 22 straight points, with a significant number coming from long-range shots.
Knecht concluded the game with an impressive shooting record of 12-for-16 overall (9-for-12 from beyond the arc) and made 4 out of 5 free throws, accumulating a personal best of 37 points.
Who is Dalton Knecht?
Dalton Knecht, a 6-foot-6 shooting guard, played his college basketball at the University of Tennessee, where he earned the title of SEC Player of the Year and was named a consensus first-team All-American in the 2023-24 season as a senior.
He was drafted by the Lakers as the 17th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Following his outstanding showing, fellow teammate LeBron James criticized the other teams for overlooking Knecht during the draft.
“The Lakers didn’t ‘discover’ DK. The other 16 teams blew it,” James stated. “You don’t just ‘find’ someone who was the SEC Player of the Year.”
Which Rookie 3-Point Record Did Dalton Knecht Match?
Before Knecht’s remarkable game, three other rookies had achieved the feat of hitting nine 3-pointers in a single game.
However, the names on that list are not widely recognized.
- Keyonte George, Utah Jazz: Feb. 15, 2024
- Yogi Ferrell, Dallas Mavericks: Feb. 3, 2017
- Rodrigue Beaubois, Dallas Mavericks: March 27, 2010