Lakers owner Jeanie Buss compares rookie Lonzo Ball to all-time greats Kobe, Magic
Ball, the second overall pick in the NBA Draft, is receiving even more hype
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1 min read
Lonzo Ball has received quite a bit of hype for a player that has yet to play an NBA game. Much of that has been due to his outspoken father, but the hype surrounding him only increased when he was drafted to the Lakers. Los Angeles has bought in completely on Ball and they've mad public comments saying as much.
With so much hype there's an increase in expectations to play well. Lakers owner, Jeanie Buss, once again raised those expectations when she compared Ball to two all-time greats in the franchise. According to Buss, Ball has the same excitement around him that Kobe Bryant and he brings the same qualities to the Lakers as Magic Johnson.
"No other draft pick, except maybe Kobe Bryant, has had this kind of excitement about him."
"There's something special about Lonzo […] I think because he just wants to play basketball, he's selfless. He has a certain charisma and I think the fact that his teammates at UCLA loved playing with him and all the nice things that they have to say about him, I think he's going to bring an element that's very similar to Magic Johnson."
Bryant of course had a lot of hype surrounding him when he entered the NBA straight out of high school. He then became a franchise legend. Johnson had his career cut short, but when he retired there was a case to be made that he was the greatest player ever.
Buss is just speaking highly of the franchise's draft pick, but this once again raises the expectations of Ball. Rookies typically come in with time to make mistakes and learn the NBA game. However, the hype surrounding Ball seems to increase everyday, which will add even more pressure on Ball to meet these lofty expectations.
