Tennessee basketball legend Dalton Knecht has officially made his debut in the National Basketball Association. The Los Angeles Lakers drafted him with the No. 17 overall pick, and he has lit up the court for LA throughout the Summer League and preseason play. 

Many NBA executives considered Knecht to be too old to be a first-round draft pick. Since then, Knecht has gone to work and is well on his way to proving everyone wrong. He wrapped up his first full week as an NBA player on Saturday night and capped off a legendary first week in the NBA. 

The budding superstar made his NBA debut against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He played 15 minutes and finished the night shooting two-for-four with five points, one rebound, one steal, and two assists. 

He played 13 minutes against the Phoenix Suns in his second career game and scored eight points, including two three-point shots, one rebound, one steal, and two assists. Not only did he get some valuable minutes against some of the best players in the world, but he also met his childhood idol and former Rick Barnes superstar Kevin Durant.

Knecht followed that up by scoring ten points in 20 minutes in another Lakers win against the Kings. He shot two-for-five from three-point range and four-for-seven from the field. He averages 7.7 points per game through the season’s first week, 1.7 steals, and 0.7 assists. 

It was not a bad week for the rookie who wasn’t seriously considered as a top pick in the 2024 draft. Along with making his NBA debut, knocking down the first few threes of his career, and meeting his childhood idol, he also signed an endorsement deal with the biggest brand in basketball.

Knecht officially joined the Jordan brand before the end of his first week in the Association. He hasn’t done anything record-breaking to start his career or made national headlines for making his debut, but he is already looking like he could be a valuable contributor for the Lakers in year one of his career.