Magic Johnson showed major love for the Tennessee Vols after the Los Angeles Lakers drafted Dalton Knecht

It appears one of the greatest Los Angeles Lakers ever is pleased with his team's pick on Wednesday night.

NBA Hall of Famer and Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson took to Twitter on Thursday, and he lauded LA's decision to take Tennessee Vols guard Dalton Knecht with the 17th overall pick in the first round.

Johnson, a 12-time All-Star who won five NBA titles with the Lakers, is often known on Twitter/X for posting tweets that seem self-evident or are otherwise relatively straightforward.  However, his tweet regarding Knecht is pretty spot on and perhaps as in depth as anything ESPN bothered to mention about the Vols' 2023-24 superstar during the draft coverage.  Knecht is likely the most NBA-ready scorer in the draft and has shown range all over the floor.  There's also little doubt that Knecht is an aggressive player, especially on the offensive end, and plays with a level of confidence or "swag".

And hey, Johnson also gave some kudos to what Rick Barnes has built in Knoxville over the last decade.  It never hurts to hear one of the most impactful names in the history of the sport refer to your program as a winning one.  But the Vols have certainly proven that under Barnes, achieving heights the program rarely reached, including its first SEC tournament title in 43 years and a trip to the Elite Eight last year.

We'll see how quickly Knecht makes an impact in his rookie season.  However, Johnson is right in that it's hard to see how Knecht doesn't earn at least a key spot off the bench quickly given his ability to score the ball.

We'll find out in October when the 2024-25 NBA season gets underway.  Plenty of Vol fans will have their eyes on the West Coast as Knecht begins his NBA journey.  And one Lakers legend will also be watching proudly as well.

Related: Tennessee Vols star Dalton Knecht inadvertently involved in awkward moment during first night of 2024 NBA Draft