Dalton Knecht didn't want to talk Lakers. It was all about Tennessee at his camp
· Yahoo Sports
Visit mchezo.life for more information.
The chants filled Pratt Pavilion with 150 young admirers, many of them wearing the same No. 3 jersey they had watched dazzle in his one season with Tennessee basketball, waited for the second-year NBA player to arrive. When Dalton Knecht finally emerged, the room erupted.
"This is really special to me," Knecht said, "to have my first camp, especially in Knoxville. You all gave so much to me. The biggest thing today is to have fun."
The Dalton Knecht Basketball Camp made its debut June 13, marking what Knecht intends to be an annual event in the city that turned a grad transfer into a household name.
Knecht made one thing clear going into the camp, the day belonged to those attending. He would not be taking any questions about his NBA career or his role with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Knecht grew up in Thornton, Colorado, spending his two seasons of basketball at Northeastern Junior College and two more at Northern Colorado before finding a home in Knoxville for the 2023-24 season.
"Just the love they gave me while I was here," Knecht said, explaining how Knoxville made an impact on him. "If I was out at a restaurant, they'd always come up and say what's up. At the games they really embraced me. I came in as a transfer, and the city came to love me."
What he did in a single season was remarkable.
He averaged 21.7 points per game, led the SEC in scoring with 25.5 points per game, the highest mark in the league in 14 years, and became the first UT player to score 30 points in five straight games.
The Associated Press named him unanimous SEC Player of the Year and SEC Newcomer of the Year and a consensus First-Team All-American before the Lakers selected him 17th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Knecht had no obligation to return. He chose to anyway.
"They gave me a home to always come back to," Knecht said. "Seeing jerseys with my last name on it, they’d wait for me to sign autographs for two hours. I just came back to give as much as I can."
Knecht didn’t just watch from the sidelines. He lined up in layup lines, made passes and got in on the action during 2-on-2.
Whether it was a high-five, a pat on the back or having to guard an NBA player, those lucky to be in attendance couldn’t contain their excitement, smiling with every interaction.
Sean Green, of Priority 1 Athletics in Knoxville, and Jamal Richardson, founder of JMR Basketball in Nashville, ran the camp, leading drills and explaining the purpose behind each one. Between every station rotation, they asked the crowd the same question.
“Which team worked the hardest?”
The gym got loud every time. Being named the hardest-working group meant everything.
"Hard work is the foundation," Richardson told Knox News. "Finding an appreciation for it is important. Sometimes we want to get to the finish line but we forget about the in-between."
Steven Miller brought his son Hayden, 11, to the camp. He noticed Knecht misses shots during the workout and kept going without a word.
Miller hoped his son took away one important lesson from camp. That “attitude is important.”
"The way he carried himself even when he was missing shots,” Miller said. “You’ve got to hold your head up high and keep going."
Hayden had a simpler verdict on the day.
"The most fun part was when we got to compete and make new friends," Hayden said.
Scott Phillips, a member of Richardson's JMR Basketball operation who helped organize the sold-out event, said demand for tickets exceeded what the camp was initially built to handle.
"We tried to work with the space we had, but we definitely had more sign-ups than spots at first," Phillips said. "The town loves DK. You can tell."
Knecht still talks to Tennessee coach Rick Barnes. He watches every Tennessee game and has given some of the new Vols advice to trust Barnes and the process.
The camp wrapped with an awards ceremony. Then a group photo. Then a line of autographs out the door. Knecht stayed for every single one.
Being a role model, he said, is not something he takes lightly.
"It's really special to me," Knecht said, "but I know it's really special to my parents, especially my mom."
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Dalton Knecht doesn't talk Lakers. It his chance to give back to Knoxville