When the Los Angeles Lakers took Lonzo Ball with the second pick in the 2017 NBA draft, it looked like a made-for-TV story.
Ball grew up in Chino Hills, which is about an hour east of downtown Los Angeles, and he starred at the University of California, Los Angeles during the 2016-17 season.
To some, his two seasons in the Purple and Gold were very underwhelming. There was tremendous hype surrounding his entry to the NBA, not to mention tremendous expectations.
Now, as a member of the Chicago Bulls and a little older and more mature, Ball looked back on his time with the Lakers during an interview with Jill Painter-Lopez of KCBS, a Los Angeles-based CBS affiliate.
“Just playing for the home team,” said Ball when asked his favorite memories of being a Laker. “Being a Lakers fan growing up, watching all the greats, and then being able to put that jersey on was great.”
Ball was also asked what it was like playing with LeBron James during the 2018-19 campaign.
“He was my favorite player growing up so being able to share the court with him and learn from him was a time in my life I’ll never get back, I’ll never take for granted.”
In many ways, leaving Los Angeles was good for Ball. He started to become his own man away from his hometown. He also improved his game and his value on the court.
In his two seasons with the Lakers, he shot 31.5% from 3-point range. Last season, he hit an impressive 42.3% from that distance.
Ball may never live up to the expectations some fans still have for him, but he has become a good player nonetheless.
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