The expectations for Los Angeles Lakers rookie point guard Lonzo Ball are sky high, and they might have gotten a little higher.
Lakers head coach Luke Walton was asked if Ball could potentially become the next Kobe Bryant for L.A., and Walton answered the way any intelligent coach would.
“Anything in life is possible,” Walton said, per TMZ Sports.
Walton obviously is just trying to instill as much confidence in his young star as possible, but labeling him as the next player to enter the pantheon of Laker legends might be a tad much.
Ball dazzled during the NBA’s Summer League when he was named MVP, and he is expected to help the young Lakers take the next step in their march back to NBA prominence. But Ball needs many things, including a tireless work ethic and a good supporting cast, if he wants to reach the heights that the “Black Mamba” did.
Bryant, of course, won five NBA titles with the Lakers while becoming one of the best players in the history of the game.
Ball has a long way to go to match the bar set by Bryant, but if he can even come close to the mark, the future will be bright at Staples Center.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
