The Los Angeles Lakers brought in UCLA’s Lonzo Ball for dinner Tuesday night and a workout on Wednesday, which could be the first of many times that Ball plays on the Lakers’ practice floor. He is currently thought to the favorite to be selected second overall by Los Angeles, although Kansas forward Josh Jackson and Kentucky guard De’Aaron Fox are also in the mix.
After going through a number of drills, Ball met with an enormous media gathering, perhaps signaling just how big of a buzz would be generated if the Lakers do indeed select the hometown kid.
Ball had great things to say about Magic Johnson, who is settling into his new role as president of basketball operations for the Lakers. Lakers Nation’s own Ryan Ward shared Ball’s comments about Tuesday’s dinner:
Lonzo Ball: “It was a good dinner. A lot of fun meeting Magic…positive vibe.” #Lakers
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) June 7, 2017
Ball also had high praise for Johnson who he believes is one of the best players of all-time via Ward:
Lonzo Ball: “Magic Johnson is one of the greatest players to ever play.” #Lakers
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) June 7, 2017
Ball grew up in Chino Hills, California and has long been a Lakers fan, so his positive feelings towards Johnson are not surprising. While Ball wasn’t born until 1997, when Johnson’s playing days were over, there is no doubt that Magic’s legend still would have made an impact on him.
As a pass-first point guard, Ball would be an ideal fit for the Lakers on the offensive end. He has the ability to shoot from NBA three with ease and converted on 41 percent of his attempts from downtown at UCLA. Coach Luke Walton already experimented with D’Angelo Russell at shooting guard at the end of last season and the results were encouraging, which makes most experts optimistic that he could play alongside Ball in a versatile backcourt.
Ultimately, we won’t know who the Lakers will select until their pick is announced on June 22nd, but we can say with certainty that Ball will be hoping that it’s his name that winds up on the back of a purple and gold jersey.