The Lakers selected Ball with the second overall pick in the National Basketball Association draft Thursday night, eagerly accepting the potential risks and enormous rewards surrounding the sublime UCLA playmaker with an attention-grabbing father.
Shortly after being selected #2 overall in the NBA Draft, LaVar stated boldly that his son would "take the Lakers to the playoffs his first year".
This is the maelstrom Lonzo is entering.
"That will make it more challenging a little bit, but I think that every top draft pick that comes in has a target on their back", Walton said.
Markelle Fultz's mom, Ebony, makes sure the No. 1 pick of the Philadelphia 76ers is looking just so on his big night. No, his father, Lavar, has a habit of doing enough of that for both father and son-and the rest of the family, for that matter.
Top draft prospects gather for a group photo before the NBA basketball draft, Thursday, June 22, 2017, in NY. I know when I was a young player, I had a target on my back from my own teammates because of things my dad said, but it ended up working out. However, the former UCLA guard will have to live up to the hype in order to silence their critics and prove that everything his father said about him is true.
Markkanen was asked about potentially playing with or replacing Porzingis, who team president Phil Jackson told MSG Network on Wednesday the Knicks are taking calls about after he left NY without attending his exit interview.
The Paul George Free-Agency Leak Ripple Effect
Whether the Pacers trade Paul George or not, he plans to play for the Los Angeles Lakers next season, according to Yahoo Sports . It's possible Boston could even acquire George and still chase one of the top free agents like Gordon Hayward or Blake Griffin.
As usual, everyone seems a bit anxious about it but Lonzo.
However, getting Los Angeles into the playoffs could be a very tall order for Ball, given that the team has been among the NBA's worst for four straight seasons and likely won't add a veteran star, such as Paul George or LeBron James, until the next offseason.
"Ha, that's amusing", he said. "All I can do is go out there and play".
"That's the goal", Lonzo said when asked about his father's comments. "I told you I would speak it into existence".
"He's his own man, so I don't know what he's going to do", he said.
Rest assured, you won't be hearing anything like this from the kid. "And all I can say is that we walked away from that really impressed with the family".
If only his father would shut up and listen.
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