The Los Angeles Lakers traded Lonzo Ball in early July just two years after telling him his No. 2 jersey would one day hang in the Staples Center rafters.
Ball was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans — along with Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and multiple first round picks — Anthony Davis.
While the trade was seen as necessary for the Lakers to officially hit championship contention, saying goodbye to three young players they had spent several seasons developing certainly wasn’t easy. Ball was gracious about the trade and his time in Los Angeles while still showing his excitement to work with Zion Williamson and the Pelicans.
During his two seasons in Los Angeles, Ball was known for using music — particularly his own — to express how he was feeling about the things happening around him. It was no different when Ball recently released a song that seemingly threw shade at the Lakers, saying that they would regret trading him:
You know I’m all about business. L.A. is going to regret their decision.
These lyrics started a firestorm on Twitter as players saying things like this about their former team — especially when that team is the Lakers — is always going to grab attention and get headlines. However, Ball dened the idea that he was intentionally throwing shade, saying he loved his time in Los Angeles while also plugging the rest of his album, via Twitter:
I’m not dissing anybody I loved my time in LA. I use my music as an outlet to express things that happen in my life #50and30 out now! Let me know y’all favorite track ???????? pic.twitter.com/xBhI3Ld6ZK
— Lonzo Ball (@ZO2_) August 29, 2019
Ball was always known to be a quiet, mature, and level-headed player, so it’s no surprise that he would respond to the headlines in this fashion.
In addition, Ball has much more important things to focus on like the upcoming 2019-20 NBA season. Ball has spent almost half of his first two seasons in the league recovering from various injuries, and it seems like he may be fully healthy for the first time in his career.
Lakers fans are without a doubt rooting for Ball, Ingram, and Hart in New Orleans and hopefully the 21-year-old can reach the potential fans and players alike know he can.