The Los Angeles Lakers welcomed two new rookies to the team on Tuesday, Dalton Knecht and Bronny James. Knecht was picked at No. 17 after leading Tennessee to the Elite Eight, while James joined at No. 55 after recovering from offseason heart surgery and making his college debut with USC last season.
During a press conference on Tuesday, the team introduced their newest players to fans and showcased their new NBA jerseys for the first time. James chose to wear No. 6, which is now retired in the NBA in honor of Bill Russell and was once worn by late rapper Juice WRLD as a symbol of taking negative situations and turning them into something positive. Knecht had to switch his number from No. 3, which he wore for the Vols, to No. 4 in order to avoid clashing with Lakers star Anthony Davis during the press conference. He joked about his decision saying “So why not do Knecht 4?”
The two rookies will make their Lakers debut during the upcoming Summer League games, where fans can watch them play for the first time. The Summer League games will take place at the California Classic Summer League in Sacramento from July 6-10 and NBA Summer League in Las Vegas from July 12-18.
