Los Angeles Lakers: Lonzo Ball is just what they need — the anti-Kobe
By Jason Oliver
He was the pride of the Los Angeles Lakers, but just a year after Kobe Bryant’s retirement, the club is moving forward with a new leader in Lonzo Ball — the anti-Kobe.
Kobe Bryant has a day named after him to celebrate his illustrious career with the Los Angeles Lakers. Aug. 24, a combination of his two jersey numbers, is a day to celebrate his fiercely competitive nature, undeniable championship motives, and his “Mamba mentality.”
He’s a cult figure, one that is admired as much as he’s hated. For everyone that thought he was a ball hog or bad teammate, there was someone that celebrated his makes on bad shots and the ruthless demands and expectations he put on his teammates.
He wasn’t everybody’s cup of tea, but the Lakers and their fans couldn’t fill their cups high enough with love, admiration, and appreciation for one of the greatest to ever play for the franchise. Even with him gone, the fandom lives on.
Perhaps it’s due to the recent franchise-worst seasons that fans continue to bask in past glories brought to them by the Black Mamba. They’ve not had much to cheer for, but you can’t start the next chapter if you keep re-reading the last one.
Chapter 2 is the anti-Kobe: Lonzo Ball.
The erstwhile infatuation with Kobe and his self-obsession for personal glory and success has long been celebrated, but the Lakers have moved on. Ball is opposed to all that, and the fans have fallen in love.
Selflessness and a team-first mentality are now a part of “Lakers basketball.”
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Magic Johnson made no secret of who is taking over as the on-court leader of the franchise in Ball’s introductory press conference, calling him “the new face of the Lakers, the guy who I think will lead us back to where we want to get to.”
Like an everyday long-term relationship, the Lakers have broken up with what they knew for so long and picked up the total opposite on the rebound.
Lonzo is everything Kobe wasn’t. He’s quiet, unassuming, passive in appearance but aggressive in his play. He steers away from the “do it yourself” attitude and incorporates those around him.
While Kobe had the reputation as a bad teammate, Ball is already expected to be a guy anyone around the league would want to play with. His vision and willingness to pass make the job easier for the others on the court, while his quiet approach will keep locker room blowups to a minimum.
Rob & I were able to get our first choice this evening. Laker Nation get ready, we are off to a great start. Welcome to the team Lonzo Ball!
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 22, 2017
Trying to get a word out of Ball is like pulling teeth. It’s a far cry from the brilliantly chirpy Bryant we saw on and off the court for 20 years.
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka told Bleacher Report of their plans to steer away from the identity given to them by Bryant:
"“That identity will be defined as the team develops, but clearly the way Lonzo plays will set the tone, and it really meshes so naturally well with the way Luke [Walton]’s vision for the team is, which is open floor, ball movement, versatility, length.”"
It was overdue, but the Lakers have finally woken up to the ever-changing NBA landscape. No longer can one man will a team to success. It takes two or three exceptional players to embrace a team culture to prosper in the league these days.
Ball is the guy to see the Lakers through this transition.
His NBA Summer League performances proved he has the ability for success, but it also uncovered the excessive expectations people are putting on this 19-year-old kid.
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As the most scrutinized player to come out of the draft in recent years, all eyes are on Ball. They’re going to see him dominate and be destroyed, ravished and ridiculed, propped up and pulled down. No matter what comes before us, one thing is certain; this is a new direction for the Lakers whether Ball fulfills his potential or not.