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Lakers' Dalton Knecht Shares the Most Surprising Thing He's Learned About LeBron James

Lakers forward James and guard Knecht reacts to a ref’s call against the Sacramento Kings during the first half at Crypto.com Arena.
Lakers forward James and guard Knecht reacts to a ref’s call against the Sacramento Kings during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. | Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

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Los Angeles Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht was just two years old when LeBron James made his NBA debut. Now, over 20 years later, the two are teammates as James's storied career enters its final seasons.

Knecht not only gets to learn from James as the Tennessee product tries to find his footing in the NBA, but he also gets to build a relationship with a player he grew up watching. Knecht was asked recently on what he's learned about James so far and the answer didn't have anything to do with the basketball court.

"How much he loves to play Madden. He always talks about [it]," Knecht said about James via ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "I didn’t really know it was that much. He watches it on the plane and stuff. He watches film just like it’s basketball. It’s crazy."

James's love for the football video game is well known, although Knecht says he takes it to another level. James posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account Friday that he played a random user in Madden and enjoyed the game, conversation and laughs shared.

Everyone needs a go-to hobby outside of their profession. Of course James's hobby still allows him to bring out his competitive nature, this time just on the video game sticks.

Next time you hop online for a game of Madden, James may be on the other side. But as Knecht says, you better be ready, because James can game.


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Blake Silverman
BLAKE SILVERMAN

Blake Silverman is a writer at Sports Illustrated, primarily covering the NBA and WNBA. Before joining SI in November 2024 as a breaking/trending news writer, he covered the WNBA, NBA, G League and college basketball for numerous sites, including Winsidr, SB Nation and A10Talk. He’s an alum of both Michigan State and St. Bonaventure University, receiving a master’s degree from the Bonnies’ sports journalism program. Outside of work, he’s a husband, father, yogi and fairly mediocre tennis player who’s open to any tips on how to play defense in EA Sports College Football.