Los Angeles Lakers rookie point guard Lonzo Ball turned heads at the Las Vegas Summer League, earning MVP honors and leading the Lakers to their first ever Summer League Championship.
In a matter of months, Ball went from a highly touted prospect at UCLA, to one of the fastest rising young stars in the history of the NBA. Dealing with that sort of fame could be tough on some young athletes, but not Ball, according to his manager and longtime trainer Darren Moore.
Moore recently commented on Ball’s work ethic and how the fame hasn’t affected it, saying that all he cares about is basketball, via Candace Buckner of the Washington Post:
“He’s true to the game. He’s not about the extra stuff. He’s not about the parties, he’s not about doing this and doing that. And as a fan, that’s what you want,” Moore said. “You want somebody that’s all about the game, that just wants to get in the gym and get better, that wants to learn, that wants to win. That’s what it’s about. It’s not about the glitz and the glamour, that’s going to come with it if you work hard. But he’s all about basketball. That’s all that matters to him and I believe that people 10 to 15 years from now are going to appreciate that.”
One thing that has been consistent with Ball throughout this entire process is his dedication to the game of basketball. While his father LaVar is out there talking to the media and creating a reality television series about his family, Ball has kept his focus on basketball and improving his game.
Now that Summer League is over and the Lakers have about two months until the start of training camp, Ball said he plans to continue working on his game and his strength and conditioning in particular in the time being.
