Lonzo Ball operates a little more under the radar these days, and the difference seems to be rather stark to him.
In a self-authored feature for The Players’ Tribune this week, the New Orleans Pelicans guard admitted that he felt targeted before he even entered the NBA.
“I feel like I had a target on my back before I even got to the league because my family was always on TV and in the media,” wrote Ball. “So I knew coming in that every time I stepped on the court, I was gonna get everybody’s best.
“And you have to have a certain mindset to go out there every night with that target on your back and be able to take the hits and keep going,” he added.
The hype surrounding the 22-year-old Ball has died down ever since his trade from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Pelicans this past offseason. He is quietly averaging 11.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game this year but has missed the last several games with an adductor injury.
Granted, Ball’s father LaVar was the root of most of the publicity, and Lonzo has been doing his best lately to distance himself from his dad somewhat.
