LaMelo Ball, a man of few words, was particularly concise in his media interview during the 2020 NBA Draft Combine. As questions turned to which teams he had and hadn’t spoken to, Ball quickly shot down team after team, though he had one notable exception in the New York Knicks.
A report earlier in the year indicated the Warriors did hold an interview with Ball, flying in the face of his slew of “no” responses at the combine. However, on an appearance on ESPN’s Jalen and Jacoby, Ball confirmed that the only two teams he has spoken to are the Warriors and Knicks.
“I think I had (conversations) with just two teams, just the Knicks and Warriors and that was just a Zoom call.”
When asked if those are the two teams he hopes drafts him, Ball gave a very diplomatic, yet on-brand answer.
“Hopefully everybody is. To be honest, I’m really just ready to go out and play. The whole pre-draft process, I’m not (worried) too much with it.”
Those two being the teams Ball has spoken to are quite interesting as they have little correlation. The Warriors are one of the most intriguing teams atop the draft. That Ball spoke to them, a team that is looking to compete for titles, is no surprise.
As for the Knicks, it appears to be the desired location for the Ball camp. LaVar certainly wants his son to end up in the Big Apple and a report did once indicate that to be the desire for Ball himself, though it was later refuted.
In that regard, it makes sense Ball spoke to each of those teams individually. With more individual interviews and potential workouts possible in the coming weeks and months, it’ll be interesting to see if he keeps that stance of working with just those teams moving forward.