. He’s currently the Associate Director of Programing.
Dalton Knecht’s NBA dreams should have been over when he didn’t land a scholarship to his dream school, Colorado, coming out of high school in suburban Denver. He was forced to play JUCO ball the next two years, which eventually led to an opportunity at tiny Northern Colorado. Knecht failed to land a starting spot in his first year with the Bears. In his second, the team finished only 12-20 with Knecht as their leading man.
There aren’t many NBA stories that begin in junior college and include a stop in the Big Sky Conference, but then again there aren’t many basketball journeys as incredible as Knecht’s. As he splashed a pull-up three that sent the Los Angeles Lakers’ home crowd into a frenzy and caused LeBron James to jump for joy on the sidelines, Knecht’s impossible path to this moment fully came into focus.
Knecht’s off-ball scoring can be just as deadly in the league as it was during his super-senior year at Tennessee. While he experienced set backs few NBA players can relate to early in his career, he’s been lucky enough to find the perfect home for his skill set on multiple occasions now.
Knecht popped off for 37 points as the Lakers beat the Utah Jazz in NBA Cup play on Tuesday night. It was the type of game young shooters dream about: nine made three-pointers, a stretch of 22 consecutive points, and a new level of respect earned from his Hall of Fame teammates. This is what it’s like to be in the zone. It’s a beautiful thing.
Timing is everything in life, and Knecht has had great timing as of late.
Knecht benefitted from the transfer portal when his two years at Northern Colorado resulted in a scholarship offer from Tennessee. The Vols had long been one of the nastiest defensive teams in college basketball, but they were in desperate need of scoring. Knecht walked onto campus and was immediately the second …
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