Lonzo Ball has poise beyond his years.
The Los Angeles Lakers point guard, expectedly, has had his ups and downs to start his rookie season, but the 20-year-old isn’t going to shy away from his shortcomings.
The Lakers currently sit at 2-4, and while Ball has played fairly well in the six games, he’s been awfully critical of himself speaking to the media after L.A. losses. Ball is expected to be the next face of the Lakers franchise, and it appears he’s already taking on the responsibilities of a seasoned All-Star early in his first NBA season.
“That is how I was brought up; I am not going to change,” Ball told Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Tims. “…It is a team game, we all play for each other; obviously we win and lose as a team, but I like to take the blame when we lose.”
Ball credits his father, LaVar, for teaching him about accountability, but the Lakers rookie also obtained the trait by watching one of his idols growing up, LeBron James. James is notorious for taking the heat when his team struggles, which is a selfless move from a superstar player.
After the Lakers pulled off a surprise win over the Washington Wizards last week, the Purple and Gold turned in back-to-back sluggish performances in losses to the Toronto Raptors and Utah Jazz. Lonzo was one of several Lakers who didn’t play well in the pair of defeats, but the UCLA product took sole responsibility after both contests.
The move wasn’t lost on head coach Luke Walton.
“It’s not his fault we lost,” Walton told Ganguli on Monday. “…I love that he wants to take responsibility for it, that’s what leaders do, they put it on their back, but it’s not on him that we lost that game. He did a lot of things very well that night, too.”
We have a feeling Lonzo will be dishing dimes at the Staples Center for quite some time.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
