While the NBA’s Rookie/Rising Stars Challenge has existed since 1994, Sunday’s iteration was the most innovative and controversial to date.
For the first time in history, a group of Rising Stars shared the court with true NBA All-Stars on Sunday night in the final event on the court.
The NBA got rid of the traditional East vs West, Team A vs Team B format this season in favor of a four-team mini-tournament on Sunday night with three teams composed of NBA All-Stars and one team composed of Rising Stars.
VFL Dalton Knecht was one of the eight players on Candace Parker’s Rising Stars team.
While fans voiced their displeasure about the new NBA All-Star format online, no one was louder to a larger audience than current NBA star Draymond Green.
“I had to work so hard to play on Sunday night of All-Star weekend,” Green said as a commentator on the TNT desk. “And because ratings are down, because the game’s bad, we’re bringing in Rising Stars? That’s not a fix. I never played in the Rising Stars game. My first two years, I didn’t touch that game. And these guys get to touch the All-Star floor? On Sunday night?”
Green never mentioned Lakers guard Dalton Knecht but the rookie from Tennessee was asked about his comments on Sunday night. Knecht’s Rising Stars fell in their first game on Sunday night in a first-to-40 contest.
“It’s Draymond,” Knecht said with a big grin. “He’s just talking.”
Knecht doubled down when asked his thoughts on Green comparing his team to a U19 team, saying, “He’s just talking.”
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All in all, the majority consensus was that the NBA’s new trick to get eyes on the league was a dud. But it did give Knecht a minute away from the Lakers after a wild two weeks.
After sending Knecht to Charlotte before the trade deadline, Los Angeles ended up rescinding its trade with the Hornets after big man Mark Williams didn’t pass their physical. Knecht was then sent back to Los Angeles after the Lakers had traded him away just a few days prior.
Knecht understands the business elements, though.
“I was excited to just go out there and hoop no matter where I was going,” Knecht said after returning to LA last week. “I just wanted to go hoop. I told that to [HC] JJ [Redick] and [GM] Rob [Pelinka]. I get it’s a business, so at the end of the day, I told them let’s just go play basketball.”
At the All-Star break of his rookie season in Los Angeles, Knecht is averaging 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game.
“It’s Draymond. He’s just talking”
Dalton Knecht on Draymond Green’s criticism of the Rising Stars playing on Sunday night@FanDuel | #nbaallstar pic.twitter.com/ZnSjAlZuch
— 𝙉𝘼𝙅 (@najeeadams_) February 17, 2025
