Lonzo Ball says he's played his last game for UCLA; NBA is next
MEMPHIS — Lonzo Ball is off to the NBA.
The freshman phenom said the loss to Kentucky in the Sweet 16 was his last game for UCLA, confirming what his father has been saying for months. Ball is expected to be one of the top picks in the NBA draft.
“Great. One word, if I could describe it, would be great,” Ball said after the game, which Kentucky won 86-75. “The relationships I built, can’t nobody take that away from me.”
Ball finishes as UCLA’s single-season leader in assists, with 274. He averaged 14.5 points per game on 55% shooting. But his final game in a UCLA uniform was a quiet one, as he was outplayed by Kentucky’s freshmen stars De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk.
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Ball had 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting and eight assists. Fox had a career-high 39 while Monk scored 14 of his 21 in the second half.
“Very difficult guarding them two. They’re two of the best players in the country,” Ball said. “The pick and roll with Fox is a tough cover and Malik, when he gets hot, he’s hard to guard.”
Still, Ball said he leaves without regrets.
“Not going to say it’s a disappointment,” he said. “Great year, I enjoyed all the guys, all the staff. Unfortunately we lost. I didn’t make enough plays for my team.”
While Ball’s talent is undeniable, he’s become something of a polarizing figure because of his father, LaVar. LaVar Ball has said his son is better than two-time NBA MVP Steph Curry, and also claimed that he could have beaten Michael Jordan one-on-one back in their playing days.
LaVar Ball also said his son would only play for the Lakers. It just so happened that Magic Johnson, the team’s director of basketball operations, and general manager Rob Pelinka were on hand for Friday night’s game.
“He’s just a very special talent, and he’s going to go on and have a phenomenal career,” UCLA coach Steve Alford said Friday night. “I’ve said it from Day One: In my mind, he’s the No. 1 draft pick.”
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE SWEET 16
