As was predicted by his family, friends and most NBA fans and media. Lonzo Ball was drafted with the number 2 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers on June 22nd at the Barclays Center in New York. Coming out of UCLA, Lonzo was the most hyped player heading into the NBA Draft, largely due to talk from his father who turned their family into a brand and a household name.
When it was announced live on television that the Los Angeles Lakers received the second pick in the draft, the Ball family celebrated. Father, LaVar Ball had already gone on record predicting that the Lakers would get the 2nd pick, and choose his son with the draft pick.
LaVar made it clear he did not want his son to go to any other team, Los Angeles is his hometown and that's where he demands his son would go. It wasn't put on a platter for Lonzo, who needed to prove himself to the Lakers in practices with the team prior to the draft. But everything went well for the Ball family and UCLA star, Lonzo Ball as the Lakers did indeed pick Zo with the second pick in the draft.
Lonzo is already recruiting LeBron to the Lakers
Even before the Los Angeles Lakers drafted 19-year old, Lonzo Ball, the UCLA star had already appeared in a video in which he attempts to persuade King James to come and take his talents to California and play with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018.
With a lot of talk about the possibility of LeBron leaving the Cavaliers after this upcoming season, Lonzo has jumped on the idea of convincing his "favorite player" in the league for the past few years to come and play with him in LA.
Zo' Ball has always mentioned LeBron James as being his favorite player in the NBA, and just like LeBron, he already has a shoe label in his first year in the NBA.
It would be a dream come true for Ball to play alongside a player he looked up to during his school years. Now that he is in the NBA, instead of looking up to King James, he will need to look eye to eye with him, and there's no doubt he would prefer to be alongside LBJ than against him.
Lakers heading to the playoffs?
The Los Angeles Lakers haven't made the NBA playoffs since 2012 when they were led by NBA all-time great, Kobe Bryant alongside Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace.
But according to Lonzo's father, LaVar, the LA Lakers are headed back to the NBA playoffs in the 2017-18 season, and he is very confident with his prediction.
LaVar already correctly predicted his boy getting picked by the Lakers at number two in the draft, so his prediction for the Lakers heading into the playoffs this upcoming season, may not be too wild. Lakers general manager, Magic Johnson sees a lot of potential in Lonzo Ball's game, after drafting him, Magic said, "Lonzo, just leave me one or two records, don't break all my records". Whether it was the influence of the Ball father's words or the impressive UCLA season Zo had, Earvin Johnson is certainly happy about his choice with the second pick in the 2017 NBA draft.