Lonzo Ball Prefers to Play for the Lakers
UCLA's Lonzo Ball is generally projected to be a top-three pick in this year's draft and he should be vying for the top spot with University of Washington's Markelle Fultz and Kansas' Josh Jackson. However, Ball doesn't really mind if someone else gets picked first because he prefers to stay in his home state.
In an interview with The Vertical, Ball said that he would obviously play the team that drafts him, but he also admitted that he really wants to suit up for the Los Angeles Lakers.
"The Lakers are in L.A., and they're close to home. This is where all my family is. Hopefully, they have a nice pick and they have a chance to get me. I want this to be realistic. Just being very family-oriented, to play in front of them would mean a lot to me. The Lakers are a young team and they have a lot of young talent," Ball said during the interview.
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Of course, Ball can't really choose where he plays since this is a draft after all. Fortunately, the Lakers have put themselves in prime position to select him in the draft. However, the ill-fated Steve Nash trade back in 2012 has continued to hound them to this day and they may lose the pick to the Philadelphia 76ers if it falls out of the top three in the draft lottery.
Meanwhile, pass-first point guards are a dying breed in today's game, but Ball actually fits the traditional ball-handler mold. He has clearly patterned his game after current Lakers president Magic Johnson and he told the Vertical that he grew up watching the Laker great.
"I watched tape on Magic when I was young. And it's why you can see it in my game," Ball said.
It would be nice to see Johnson take Ball under his wing. But they would have to land in the top three if they want to draft him.
