Dalton Knecht christened new nickname by Snoop Dogg referencing Ice Cube-led group
On Thursday night, Los Angeles Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht erupted late in the game, scoring 18 straight points during a five-and-a-half minute stretch en route to a career-high of 35 in LA's overtime win against the Phoenix Suns.
In addition to his remarkable offensive display, which included a game-tying three over Bol Bol, Knecht also had a clutch block on Jalen Bridges with just a minute left in the game, preserving the Lakers' two-point lead.
On Friday morning, internationally acclaimed rapper and Lakers fan Snoop Dogg appeared on ESPN's First Take, where he informed Stephen A. Smith of Knecht's new nickname: Westside Knecht. The nickname was taken from Ice Cube's Westside Connection hip-hop group, which included rappers Mack 10 and WC.
Additionally, in 2020, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, and Dr. Dre joined forces for a song titled West Side Connection, which featured Method Man and Xzibit. While many fans had been calling Knecht 'Knecht 4' (referring to the game 'Connect Four'), Snoop's new nickname seems to be a hit with many fans.
Following his breakout game on Thursday, Dalton Knecht has been the talk of the NBA community as the Lakers look to enter the season with momentum under newly-appointed coach JJ Redick.
"He's in the 1%," - Coach JJ Redick praises Dalton Knecht following 35-point scoring outburst
Heading into Thursday's clash between the LA Lakers and the Phoenix Suns, Dalton Knecht had shown flashes of brilliance throughout the preseason.
On Tuesday, he scored 19 on 40% shooting while going 38.5% from three while tallying two rebounds and two steals in arguably his best preseason outing yet. Then, on Thursday, Knecht fired on all cylinders, scoring 35 points on 55.6% from the field and 61.5% from three.
In addition, he hauled down seven boards, blocked two shots, and recorded two steals over 32 minutes, a stark contrast from the 13-point, eight-rebound outing that included a steal on Thursday against Milwaukee when coach JJ Redick played him 34 minutes.
Following Dalton Knecht's career night, Redick spoke with media members post-game, doubling down on a comment last month where he said Knecht was in the '1% of shooters':
"It was an incredible performance," Redick said. "Reggie and I were talking about it before the game and he was like, 'It's high praise to say he's in the 1% of shooters.' And I'm like, 'Nah, he's in the 1% of shooters.'"
"The thing about him is just the mentality. It's been very obvious in pickup before the season, in training camp, thus far in games. He's got no fear. He's not afraid of the moment. That was a show that he put on. And my assistants tried to tell me not to put him back in the game with four minutes to go so I'm going to get them," he added.
Following Thursday's game, LA will be back in action on Friday for the second leg of a back-to-back when they face off against the Golden State Warriors, who are undefeated through five preseason games.