Count the Los Angeles Lakers among the many Americans locked in Saturday on the first round of college football's first ever 12-team College Football Playoff.
During the evening game between No. 6 Ohio State and No. 7 Tennessee, however, two of the Lakers' forwards came down on opposite sides of the contest. Los Angeles forward LeBron James backed the Buckeyes—his home state's flagship team—while former Volunteers star Dalton Knecht supported his old school.
When Ohio State jumped out to a 21–0 lead Saturday, James was quick to let Knecht know what was up.
"Hey! DK! 21–0! Don't worry about it," James said during an interview with ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "Hey DLo [ex-Ohio State guard D'Angelo Russell]! Tell him now!"
LeBron James multi-tasks between discussing the Lakers win and rooting for Ohio State’s CFP matchup postgame in SAC pic.twitter.com/0ux1IPY3sT
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 22, 2024
After McMenamin posted his video, Tennessee put up 10 unanswered points entering halftime.
It's going to take a more consistent effort by the Volunteers in the second half if Knecht wants to earn locker-room bragging rights going forward.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as LeBron James Has Laugh at Dalton Knecht's Expense As Ohio State Goes Up on Tennessee.