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Lakers Nation > Blog > Lakers News > Lakers News: Lonzo Ball Favors LeBron James, But Still Draws Inspiration From Kobe Bryant
Lakers News

Lakers News: Lonzo Ball Favors LeBron James, But Still Draws Inspiration From Kobe Bryant

Matthew Moreno
Published: 12/18/2017
2 Min Read
Lonzo Ball
David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
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A Chino Hills, Calif., native, product of UCLA, and a pass-first point guard, Lonzo Ball was seemingly destined to be drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers. But for all the parallels drawn to franchise icon Magic Johnson, Ball favored LeBron James over another Lakers legend in Kobe Bryant.

The rookie has referred to James as his favorite player and the best player on several occasions. Normally, it would be blasphemous for someone with ties to the Lakers to champion James over Bryant, considering the semi-fabricated rivalry between the two.

Though, that’s not to say the 20-year-old didn’t view Bryant in a similar light. “Kobe was up there with [James],” Ball said.

“I felt like my game was more like LeBron’s than Kobe’s, so that’s why I gravitated towards [James’] game more, but Kobe is one of the best to ever do it. I’m glad he’s getting both jerseys retired.”

Like others on the Lakers roster have shared, Ball drew inspiration from Bryant’s work ethic and mindset. “Just watching Kobe, I loved his mentality,” he said. “Not scared of anybody and always wants to win, very competitive. I think that’s the biggest thing to take away from his game.”

In watching Bryant’s playing career he also saw a Shaquille O’Neal in his prime who helped the lead the franchise to three consecutive NBA titles. O’Neal has long maintained he and Bryant were the best one-two punch. Ball would not be one to argue against that.

“I watched all Kobe and Shaq, that was my favorite duo when I was little,” he said. “It was the best shooting guard with the best center, so it was tough to deal with. I definitely watched [Kobe] all the time.”

Next for Ball may be a meeting with Bryant, which Ball said has not yet been scheduled but is one he’s hopeful to have.

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TAGGED:Kobe BryantLonzo BallLos Angeles Lakers
ByMatthew Moreno
Matthew Moreno is a journalist from Whittier, Calif., who is a credentialed reporter and is currently the Managing Editor of DodgerBlue.com and LakersNation.com. In addition to covering Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angels Lakers games, Matthew has a strong passion for keeping up to date with the sneakerhead culture. It began with Michael Jordan and Air Jordan shoes, and has carried over to Kobe Bryant's signature line with Nike. Matthew previously was the lead editor and digital strategist at Dodgers Nation, and the co-editor and lead writer at Reign of Troy, where he covered USC Trojans Football. Matthew graduated from California State Long Beach University with a major in journalism and minor in communications. Contact: matt@mediumlargela.com
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