LaVar Ball likes to say he’s able to “speak things into existence.” Well, he spoke something into existence Thursday night: a whole lot more pressure on his son.
After the Los Angeles Lakers selected Lonzo Ball second overall at the 2017 NBA Draft in Brooklyn, his father arrogantly declared his eldest son will lead L.A. to the playoffs in his first year as a pro.
The Lakers, of course, finished with the NBA’s third-worst record last season, so that’d be quite the monumental achievement. The team’s head coach, Luke Walton, was asked about that lofty goal Thursday night and initially took the high road.
“I’m a very optimistic person, but I don’t look that far into the future,” Walton said during a season ticket holder event at L.A.’s practice facility, via ESPN.com. “Right now, I’m hoping (Lonzo) leads us to a couple summer league victories, and we’ll take it from there.”
Pressed further, though, Walton admitted LaVar’s comments, while perhaps not affecting the rest of the team, will focus the spotlight more intently on Lonzo.
“I think it will make it more challenging, a little bit, but I think every top draft pick that comes in has a target on their back,” Walton said. “The best players in this league want to set the tone with these young players early, to let them know what it’s like here. I know when I was a young player, I had a target on my back from my own teammates because of things my dad (NBA great Bill Walton) said, but it ended up working out.”
It appears that target already is square on Lonzo’s back, as several NBA players apparently are champing at the bit to take the ex-UCLA star down a few pegs. Lonzo doesn’t seem too worried, however.
“Nah, everybody says I have a target on my back,” Ball said Thursday night, via ESPN.com. “I’m used to it by now. All I can do is go out there and play.”
Thumbnail photo via Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports Images
