Kwame Brown Blames LeBron James For Dalton Knecht’s Lack of Development: “Because of His Son”

LeBron James has undoubtedly been the NBA’s most influential figure for nearly two decades. As a result, having a player like James can transform an organization both on and off the court.

The 41-year-old has been the face of his team wherever he has gone and has delivered a championship in each one. As the face of a franchise, he also has the power to have the final say in roster construction, as teams have built around him over the years.

While he has cemented his legacy as one of the greatest players of all time, he still faces immense criticism in the NBA world. Some have even gone as far as to accuse him of destroying the careers of several NBA players.

During a recent episode of “The Basketball Show HQ”, former number one pick Kwame Brown went off on James for having a negative impact on several careers and believes that he stunted the development of Dalton Knecht.

I thought LeBron James was a regular individual, and then I realized he’s a part of a group. LeBron is a machine; it’s a marketing machine. So what makes it look good? It destroys things around it. If you look at the careers that he’s destroyed – Westbrook, all the various things before he even started. You got Dalton Knecht, because of his son, he didn’t get a chance to develop.

Kwame Brown on The Basketball Show HQ

Kwame Brown was the first overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft. Despite showing a lot of promise, he failed to live up to the hype and is widely viewed as one of the biggest busts in NBA history.

The former player has been critical of James in the past and did not hold back when pointing the finger at the King for destroying NBA careers. He name-dropped Russell Westbrook and Knecht as two players negatively affected by James.

LeBron James pushing for Bronny James derailed Dalton Knecht

Both Dalton Knecht and Bronny James were drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the same draft class, 2024. Knecht was a first-round pick, while Bronny was a second-round, 55th pick.

Knecht showed promise and had big moments in his rookie season. However, his playing time decreased in his second year. Meanwhile, Bronny has also struggled to make a mark in the NBA in his first two seasons but did see an increase in his game time as he shared the court alongside his father during the playoffs this year.

Knecht has not developed into the player the Lakers would have hoped for. But it is unfair to pin all the blame on Bronny and LeBron for Knecht’s lack of playing time. In fact, LeBron has been supportive of Knecht ever since he was drafted into the league.

It remains to be seen what the future holds for the young star in LA. He is now widely viewed as one of the Lakers’ main trade candidates. Hopefully, Knecht can regain his form next season and become the high-level prospect he was once touted as.

Kwame Brown on LeBron James’ impact on the Philadelphia 76ers

LeBron James is coming off an impressive 23rd season in the NBA. After his departure from the Lakers, James announced that he would be signing for the Philadelphia 76ers as a free agent on a two-year deal.

The move sees him join a star-studded roster of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe. As presently constructed, it is hard to argue against them being the most dominant team in the league.

However, Kwame Brown believes that any shortcomings during the 2026-27 campaign could trigger changes in the team.

When I see him go places, I’m like, ‘Okay, I want to know which player is going to have to be taken away from for this machine to still look like what it is.’ It’s going to be V.J. Edgecombe and the center, Embiid. If Embiid doesn’t play 65 or 70 games and they don’t win the championship, it’s going to be Edgecombe or Embiid.

Kwame Brown on The Basketball Show HQ

The expectations surrounding the 76ers are higher than ever. Many have already labeled the upcoming season as “championship or bust“, after the summer the 76ers just had. James has delivered a championship wherever he has gone and could become the first player in NBA history to win a title in four different organizations.

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