Dalton Knecht’s winding journey to the NBA found its endpoint — finally.
The Prairie View High School product, whose college path included stops at Northeastern Junior College (Sterling), Northern Colorado and Tennessee, was chosen 17th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the NBA draft on Wednesday night in Brooklyn.
With L.A.’s selection, Knecht became the first Colorado high school basketball player to be drafted in the top 17 picks since Chauncey Billups was taken third overall by the Boston Celtics in 1997. Knecht is the 27th Colorado prep to be chosen in the NBA draft, according to CHSAANow.