LaMelo Ball does not lack for confidence.
“I feel like I’m born for this...” the youngest Ball brother said Tuesday in his media availability when asked about the possibility he could be taken with the No. 1 overall pick.
“I don’t look at anything like that as pressure. Like I said, it’s just basketball. So, being the No. 1 pick holds a lot, but I’m glad I was born for it.”
Minnesota has the No. 1 pick in the draft and Ball has worked out for them, he confirmed. He added he also worked out for Golden State and Charlotte, the second and third picks in the draft. Ball also said he worked out for Detroit — he has been training for the draft in the Motor City with former Piston Jermaine Jackson Sr.
Most tied-in pundits now think Minnesota will take Anthony Edwards with the No. 1 pick, but Ball clearly wants that title. When one reporter asked about the Knicks, Ball steered the question back around to Minnesota and how he could fit in a backcourt with D’Angelo Russell.
LaMelo Ball, the younger brother of Pelicans’ point guard Lonzo Ball, took a very unusual path to the NBA Draft, his dad pulling him off a powerhouse high school team to play in Lithuania. Having already played professionally college ball was off the table, so Ball went to Australia, where he played half a season.
“I feel like when you go overseas, it’s a whole new different style of play,” Ball said. “Something that you can just add to the arsenal. I feel like it helped me in that aspect.”
Whatever happens Wednesday night, Ball is confident he will fit in and succeed. Wherever he ends up playing.
“Like I said, I feel like I’m born for this whole thing going on, so that’s pretty much my answer right there,” Ball said.
