Dalton Knecht reveals "best advice" he received from D'Angelo Russell: "Don't care about how you did"
The past week has been a doozy for rookie Dalton Knecht. In the wake of the blockbuster Anthony Davis-Luka Doncic trade, Knecht learned that he was being shipped to the Charlotte Hornets in a deal meant to bring center Mark Williams to the LA Lakers. A few days later, he found out about the trade being rescinded, meaning that he'd be back in Los Angeles.
Not long after that whirlwind turn of events, Knecht was in San Francisco to participate in the 2025 Rising Stars event. During media availability in the Bay Area, Knecht was asked about the best advice he'd ever gotten in the league thus far. His response appeared to be applicable to his most recent experiences:
"I'd say D'Lo [Russell], he gave me the best advice right after a game," Knecht said when asked to identify the person who gave him an unforgettable tidbit. "Just move on, don't care about how you did...because you got a next game coming towards you."
Ironically, Russell himself had to learn how to move on quickly this season as he was dealt by the Lakers to the Brooklyn Nets in late December. It's interesting, then, that Knecht brought up Russell's advice in the aftermath of a round trip from Tinseltown to Charlotte and back to Tinseltown again.
"No matter how high or how low that game was, you gotta move and be ready to play the next one and get better," Knecht added.
To the rookie's credit, he went right back to being a solid contributor for the Lakers in his first game back with the team. In the Lakers' 131-119 loss to the Utah Jazz this past Wednesday, Knecht chipped in 10 points on 3-for-7 shooting from beyond the arc.
Dalton Knecht on his return to the Lakers: "I just wanted to hoop"
Knecht's mention of Russell's advice is consistent with the mindset that he discussed with reporters right after the Jazz game on Wednesday.
Speaking to the media for the first time since the Lakers' deal with Charlotte was rescinded, Knecht opened up about his perspective on the whole turn of events:
"It was a crazy time...but, at the end of the day, I just wanted to hoop," said Knecht. "I told that to JJ [Redick] and Rob [Pelinka] when I got back...I was excited to come back here and play with my guys." [Timestamp - 0:10]
After the All-Star break, Knecht will get right back to business as the Lakers continue to jockey for playoff position.