UPDATE 2/25/16 (9:12 PM PT): Lonzo Ball’s father LaVar clarified his comments on saying his son would only play for the Lakers via ESPN:
“All I said was that my boy is going to play for the Lakers, and I’m going to speak it into existence,” LaVar Ball told ESPN on Saturday night. “I want him to be a Laker, but I wasn’t saying he’s only going to play for the Lakers […] I’m not trying to say he won’t play for a different team,” LaVar Ball said. “But I’d like him to play for the Lakers because it’s home and I’d love him to learn from Magic [Johnson]. He’s the best guard ever to me, and nobody better for Lonzo to learn from than Magic Johnson.”
The 2017 NBA Draft is believed to be one of the most stacked in recent years and the clas is headlined by a stellar crop of point guards. In the eyes of some, the best is UCLA’s Lonzo Ball.
Ball has electrified college basketball in his freshman season and many Laker fans have already been dreaming of him suiting up in purple and gold. Lonzo’s father, LaVar, apparently thinks the same thing.
LaVar appeared on the Kevin and Mike Show on Sports Radio 1290 in Arizona and said that his son Lonzo will only play for the Lakers (via Mike Luke):
Lavar Ball: "My son will only play for the Lakers."
— Michael Luke (@ironmikeluke) February 25, 2017
The question now becomes whether the Ball family can actually pull this off. LaVar has been very outspoken about his son, recently saying that Lonzo will be better than two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry and now he apparently already has his team chosen for him as well.
The first step in this plan however, is the Lakers actually keeping their draft pick which is top-3 protected. If the Lakers fall out of the top-3 it would be very difficult for them to acquire Ball, even in a trade, without giving up some major assets.
If the Lakers do keep the pick than this is a possibility, though the only way to guarantee Ball joining the organization would be to land the top overall pick. At this time Ball is the number two prospect on Draft Express behind Washington’s Markelle Fultz though plenty can change by the time the draft rolls around.
At this time Ball is averaging 15.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 7.9 assists, and 1.9 steals while shooting 55 percent from the field and 42.1 percent from three-point range. The Bruins are one of the favorites to win the National Championship this season.
