Following his selection as the 2nd overall pick in Thursday’s NBA draft, Lonzo Ball’s welcome to the Los Angeles Lakers has been as animated as expected.
It began with his father’s interviews at the NBA Draft, where he guaranteed a playoff berth for the Lakers next season. It continued at Friday’s press conference, when Magic Johnson called Ball the “new face of the Lakers” and suggested Ball could one day see his jersey retired in Los Angeles.
Newly minted Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka was also very complimentary of Ball, choosing to compare him to NFL greats Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady:
Lakers GM Rob Pelinka says he doesn’t like hyperbole, then mentions Lonzo’s passing in same breath as Tom Brady/Aaron Rodgers. Full quote: pic.twitter.com/2yAjhnzQIW
— Baxter Holmes (@BaxterHolmes) June 23, 2017
Rodgers and Brady have both led their teams to championships, which would be a tall task for Ball and the downtrodden Lakers. Ball, a 19-year-old point guard, joins a Lakers team that finished 26-56 last season and has picked second overall in the draft three consecutive years.
Shane McNichol covers college basketball and the NBA for Larry Brown Sports. He also blogs about basketball at Palestra Back and has contributed to Rush The Court, ESPN.com, and USA Today Sports Weekly. Follow him on Twitter @OnTheShaneTrain.
