When LeBron James announced that he will be signing with the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the first rumors was that he would force the team to trade off its young core in exchange for win now players.
That hasn’t been the case so far as James has reportedly not pressured the Lakers into making any hasty decisions. By agreeing to a long-term contract, James has signified to the Lakers that he will be patient as Magic Johnson aims to complete the plan he has discussed with the star forward.
Nevertheless, there has been plenty of speculation on whether or not James would be willing to team up with Lonzo Ball, whose father LaVar has previously made negative comments about the King. That doesn’t seem to be an issue, however, as multiple people are reporting that James is excited to play with the young guard.
First, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne:
All that said, LeBron did tell the Lakers on Saturday night that he likes Lonzo’s game and is excited to play with him.
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) July 2, 2018
Then, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst:
Windhorst: "I have been assured LeBron is high on Lonzo. Likes him."
— Rob Lopez (@r0bato) July 6, 2018
The Lakers signed Rajon Rondo after James’ agreement and there has been some buzz about an open competition for the starting point guard spot. However, it doesn’t seem like Ball is likely to lose his spot and role on the team anytime soon.
Ball grew up as a fan of LeBron above anyone else and James has spoken highly of the UCLA product before. It’s not surprising that the two high-IQ players want to find success alongside each other.
