Ball in Lakers’ court as draft day looms
EL SEGUNDO, California — With the ball in his hands on the Los Angeles Lakers’ home court, Lonzo Ball was exactly where he always wanted to be.
Ball’s new Lakers workout gear was soaked with sweat after he went through his individual pre-draft workout on Wednesday for Magic Johnson and coach Luke Walton at their training complex.
The tantalizing UCLA product left no doubt that he hopes his favorite team chooses him with the second overall pick on June 22.
“Of course,” Ball said. “I want to stay home.”
The Lakers have roughly two weeks to decide whether to hitch their franchise rebuilding effort to the 6-foot-6 point guard — and by extension to his outspoken father, LaVar, who didn’t attend the workout.
After enduring the worst four-year stretch in franchise history, the Lakers hope to rebound next fall with their new draft choice alongside fellow No 2 picks D’Angelo Russell and Brandon Ingram.
Ball is generally considered to be the favorite to become the Lakers’ new catalyst, with some analysts even believing he surpasses Markelle Fultz and the rest of the draft pool as the prospect with the greatest potential for superstardom.
Ball doesn’t shy from the responsibility that would come with his selection, either. He plans to be a leader for his NBA team from his first day on the roster.
“They have a lot of good players,” Ball said. “Obviously they need a leader, a point guard, and I feel like I can bring that to the team.”
But every team with a top draft pick is clearly weighing Ball’s talent against the potential perils of choosing a some- what unorthodox 19-year-old with a heavily involved father who is currently trying to sell $495 basketball shoes online.
Lonzo didn’t wear the Big Baller Brand’s ZO2 for his Lakers workout.
Any potential concerns felt by the Lakers haven’t filtered through to Ball, who was still excited about his getting-toknow-you dinner in Venice on Tuesday with the Lakers’ top brass, including Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka.
“I got positive vibes,” Ball said. “I had a lot of fun. It was great meeting everybody here, and they were very welcoming.”
He was particularly thrilled to meet Johnson, the Hall of Famer who is now directing the Lakers’ rebuild as their president of basketball operations.
The 6-foot-9 former point guard provided the template for Ball’s approach to hoops through LaVar, an ardent Magic fan.