Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht considers Kevin Durant the greatest player of all time
LA Lakers first-round pick Dalton Knecht named Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns the greatest player of all time. Durant will enter the 18th season of his career and is already considered one of the best players ever. His influence in the next generation of players is undeniable, and it's unsurprising if he's the GOAT for some of them.
In a recent interview with SLAM Online, Knecht was asked who he considers the greatest player ever. The Tennessee product didn't hesitate to say that it's Durant, who is a former MVP, a two-time NBA champion and one of the greatest scorers in history.
"Best NBA player of all time?" the SLAM reporter asked.
"Kevin Durant," Knecht answered.
Dalton Knecht and Kevin Durant have a connection through head coach Rick Barnes. Both played under Barnes, who coached Durant in Texas and Knecht in Tennessee. The veteran head coach even compared the 23-year-old forward with KD earlier this year.
"Mindset. It's a mindset where, you know, short memory. Not afraid of the moment, willing to go make the big play and if they don't, they've got a great ability to bounce back," Barnes said. [H/T Rocky Top Insider]
Dalton Knecht answers more questions
In the same video via SLAM Online, Dalton Knecht also answered other questions such as who is the greatest women's basketball player of all time. Knecht chose Candace Parker, who recently retired with three WNBA championships to her name.
The LA Lakers rookie also called the Denver Nuggets the greatest team of all time. Before playing in Tennessee, Knecht played for Northern Colorado and supported the Nuggets. He even called Tony Allen the greatest defender of all time, while praising his coach Rick Barnes as the greatest coach ever.
Knecht likes to play Future's songs for his pregame preparation, and his favorite basketball movie is Michael Jordan's "Space Jam." He predicted that the 2025 NBA Champions will be the Lakers, and the 2024 WNBA Champions will be the Las Vega Aces.
Dalton Knecht gets introduced along with Bronny James
The LA Lakers introduced Dalton Knecht and Bronny James to the media via a press conference on Tuesday. James was in the spotlight given that he's the son of LeBron James, and his stature within the team is the talk of the town.
Knecht, on the other hand, is proud of his journey to the NBA. He started his collegiate career at Northeastern Junior College before transferring to Northern Colorado and eventually ended it at Tennessee.
"Ever since I touched a basketball, I knew I could do it. It was just a matter of how. My journey's not like everyone else's. Creating my path is something special, and a lot of kids will look up to it," Knecht said. [H/T All for Tennessee]