Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht helped the Lakers get a win and then received an awesome gift from his idol

Dalton Knecht left Crypto.com Arena with more than just a win Friday night. He also left with a game-used jersey with an autograph from his idol, Kevin Durant.

The Los Angeles Lakers rookie had an impressive performance in the 123-116 win over the Phoenix Suns. He scored eight points on 2-of-4 shooting from long range and was plus-13 in 13 minutes on the court.

Dalton Knecht has been a bright spot for the Lakers this season

Knecht was selected 17th overall in the 2024 NBA draft and entered the league with a lot of hype. Throughout his time at Tennessee, he was known as a sharpshooter with the ability to put up clutch shots in big moments. After he was drafted he was interviewed on Spectrum SportsNet and he stated that Durant was his favorite player and has modeled parts of his game after his.

In middle school he studied Durants in-game highlights on YouTube. Durant even played a role in why Knecht chose Tennessee to transfer to for his final season of college basketball. Rick Barnes coached Durant for a season and Barnes answered all of Knechts questions about Durants work ethic and mindset during his visit.

To say Knect is a little obsessed might be an understatement. But Durant has paid attention to Knechts college season last year. He commented "A DOG" on the Tennessee basketball Instagram page after Knecht dropped 36 points at Georgia on Jan. 13.

For the Vols, Knecht averaged 21.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.7 assists on his way to being named the 2023-24 SEC Player of the Year and first-team All-American. He also finished his college career with a 37-point performance in the Elite Eight. His 3-point shooting is a vital addition to the Lakers as he shot 40 percent from beyond the arc last season. Last season the Lakers had the eighth-best 3-point percentage at 38 percent in the league but only made 11.7 per game.

His idol had another great outing against him on Friday night. Durant finished with 30 points on 11-of-17 shooting, six assists, and four rebounds.