Entering his sixth season in the NBA, Terry Rozier has seen a lot of rookies come and go, particularly during his years in Boston. None of those first-year teammates have stuck out quite like LaMelo Ball has.
While speaking with the media on Friday, Rozier was asked what has stuck out to him most with the team during the preseason and, surprisingly, it was Ball who has drawn Rozier’s attention.
“Just how happy Melo is because I’ve never seen a rookie as happy as him,” he said. “He’s young but he keeps getting better every day (just like) the other rookies. He wants to learn and he’s just a great guy to have around. He lights up the locker room, lights up the treatment room. He’s still young but he’s got the jokes and everything so I think that’s the highlight for me, just seeing him grow as these days go on.”
Through the preseason, a number of teammates have spoken about Ball, prompted and unprompted. As the No. 3 pick in the NBA Draft, Ball has actually come into Charlotte with relatively low fanfare and expectations but has still left a marked impact on his teammates.
Ball’s enthusiasm could come from nearly the year-long wait he’ll have between games when he eventually takes the court on Saturday for the first preseason game. Rozier, though, wasn’t quite ready to write his attitude off on that point alone.
“I think he’s just happy,” he said, “but it’s contagious and when guys see that, it’s just great. It’ll rub off on the next guy.”
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