LeBron James rips NBA rivals for passing on Lakers rookie after 37-point display: ‘F***ed it up!’

Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht has his bright spots in the NBA and LeBron James insists other teams made a grave mistake by not drafting him this offseason.

In the Lakers’ 124-118 victory over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday, the Tennessee product shined with a 37-point performance, shooting 12-of-16 from the field and 9-of-12 from three.

When James was asked if the Lakers’ front office found the rookie postgame, he pointed out how 16 teams missed the ball before the Purple and Gold drafted Knecht with the 17th pick.

“They didn’t find DK, the other 16 teams screwed up,” James said. ‘Has anyone looked at him? Damned if they don’t screw it up.’

Several performances throughout the season have shown the 23-year-old’s potential.

Averaging 21.5 minutes, 11.3 points and 2.5 rebounds, Knecht continually raised his scoring high in the major leagues. On October 30, he dropped 18 points in a loss to Cleveland. He then clocked 19 points in a victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA Cup on November 13.

Before his memorable 37-point performance, Knecht recorded a season-high 27 points and seven boards as the Lakers defeated the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday.

The consistency of his performance continues to shine despite Knecht being ranked fourth below just one position on the Lakers depth chart.

In his final year in the NCAA, Knecht averaged 21.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 30.5 minutes for the Volunteers as a senior.

King James previously shared his praise for Knecht before they became teammates. During March Madness, James told reporters, “We watched the Purdue-Tennessee game because of Zach Edey and Knecht.”

The Lakers are third in the Western Conference with a 10–4 record behind the first-seeded Warriors and the second-seeded Thunder.