Will Guillory: Lonzo Ball says his underwhelming play in the bubble had a lot to do with losing the rhythm he had in February and March. Added that he felt like he let the team down because “when I play well, we win.”
Lonzo Ball Rumors
All NBA Players
Position: G
Born: 10/27/97
Height: 6-6 / 1.98
Weight:190 lbs. / 86.2 kg.
Salary: $8,719,320
Born: 10/27/97
Height: 6-6 / 1.98
Weight:190 lbs. / 86.2 kg.
Salary: $8,719,320
Lonzo Ball: Make sure y’all post my shit next year too #TMC
In hopes of righting the ship for Ball, head coach Alvin Gentry had a private conversation with his starting point guard prior to the team’s game on Monday against the Grizzlies. ESPN’s Doris Burke revealed the meeting between coach and point guard after Ball opened Monday’s game with a three-pointer. “(Ball) had a bit of a struggle since arriving down here at Disney, so it’s good to see him get off to a good start. In fact, Alvin Gentry was concerned enough that they had a private conversation saying ‘Hey, you need to get your confidence back to where it was just prior to the hiatus.’”
In hopes of righting the ship for Ball, head coach Alvin Gentry had a private conversation with his starting point guard prior to the team’s game on Monday against the Grizzlies. ESPN’s Doris Burke revealed the meeting between coach and point guard after Ball opened Monday’s game with a three-pointer. “(Ball) had a bit of a struggle since arriving down here at Disney, so it’s good to see him get off to a good start. In fact, Alvin Gentry was concerned enough that they had a private conversation saying ‘Hey, you need to get your confidence back to where it was just prior to the hiatus.’”
Pandora is launching UNINTERRUPTED Radio, a brand new and exclusive station that features music selected by top NBA and WNBA players. With UNINTERRUPTED, listeners get access to the very soundtracks that top athletes listen to on and off the court, including those curated and used by LeBron James, Kyle Kuzma, Trae Young, A’ja Wilson, Draymond Green, Lonzo Ball, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Tobias Harris, Angel McCoughtry and others.
Zion’s teammates, however, were thrilled to have him back. “When someone is away, when they come back, it’s always refreshing to see their face, to get energy from them,” said Josh Hart. “We’re looking forward to him getting out there tomorrow or Thursday or [whenever] it is. But it’s always good to see someone, knowing that they battled with some off the court stuff, to see them coming back, smiling and being professional.” Added Lonzo Ball, “We’re happy to have him back. Obviously, he puts our team at full strength. We’re a lot better with him than we are without him, we know that, so having him back to start the games back up is great for us.”
Jim Eichenhofer: JJ Redick on improvement of Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball: “Both of those guys have taken steps forward. The scary thing is they probably haven’t reached their ceiling yet. They are such young players and have such physical gifts that they are still learning how to use them.”
Sources inside the Pelicans’ front office maintain that they view Ingram as a critical building block going forward. Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin told reporters on June 30 that he believes Ingram and Lonzo Ball, who is extension-eligible after the season, both want to continue in New Orleans.
Jim Eichenhofer: Gentry on Lonzo Ball’s performance in March at the time #NBA season was suspended: “He was probably playing as well as any guard in the league during that stage.” Ball shot 21/36 on threes in #Pelicans last four games, which is 58%
11 Jul
Once play resumes July 30, Lonzo Ball said he felt New Orleans will continue being vocal, in part because the conditions will demand it. “It’s going to force us to talk,” Ball said. “There’s no excuses if you don’t hear somebody when it’s just us out there. I do think it will be a little bit different playing with no fans.”
Jim Eichenhofer: Lonzo Ball on Brandon Ingram adding strength to his frame: “It’s only going to improve his game. That’s the only thing that’s left, in my opinion. Everything else he can do at a very high level. He’s already pretty much unstoppable. That’s going to make him even harder to guard.”
Instead, the draft lottery and the ensuing draft are both set for the fall. Plans have changed on the fly, but that hasn’t stopped Lonzo from giving LaMelo more advice on how to handle the changes. Lonzo shared what he’s told his brother when talking to the media on Monday. “I just told him to stay in the gym. I know he’s in Detroit working with (Jermaine Jackson) right now. As long as he gets his work in, regardless of what happens, the draft is going to be in October, I believe, so he should be ready by then. Then, whatever happens for next year, he should be good. I told him to stay in the gym and don’t worry about everything going on. “Thankfully, our family is healthy so that’s cool. He’s just doing his thing in Detroit right now.”
The Pelicans tweeted out a photo of on July 2 of Williamson, masked up and looking extremely muscular even by his high standards. The internet reacted accordingly, going wild about his physique. But the internet wasn’t the only one impressed by Williamson. Lonzo Ball talked about his rookie teammate during his media availability on Monday. “He looks amazing. He looks fully healthy. He looks even stronger than he was before, if that’s even possible. But I was happy to see him, happy to see he’s in shape and look forward to playing with him.”
Jim Eichenhofer: Lonzo Ball on #Pelicans being full strength when #NBA season was halted and their potential with everyone in the lineup: “It was a lot of fun. I think we can play with anybody when we have everyone healthy. We’re going to Orlando with a full team, so that should be good for us.”
Oleh Kosel: Lonzo Ball on Zoom conference call with media says he has seen Zion Williamson during the Pelicans individual workouts and he looks amazing. “He looks more athletic than he did before, if that’s possible.”
Ball said his favorite track on the album was “Trials and Tribulations” while the most meaningful song to him was “Man in the Mirror.” The latter song Ball said was written about his mother and daughter. He also revealed that the album had been completed multiple years ago but a series of hoops had to be jumped through before it could be released. “This album was actually done in like 2018. We just now putting it out. It took a long time getting it cleared.”
When talking about Stephenson, Ball was asked for one word to describe his former teammate’s bars in the studio. “Me and Lance, we click on and off the court. That’s my dude for life, man. It’s always fun getting with him in the booth. Definitely, if I had to pick one word, it’d be energy. He brings a lot of energy.”
Ball’s new album will include features from Enzo and Lance Stephenson, both artists (or teammates) he’s worked with in the past, as well as manager and friend Darren Moore and brother LiAngelo Ball. A handful of songs on the 17-track playlist have been released as singles. Lonzo and LiAngelo released “Tick Tock” last week while “Swerve” with Stephenson was released last year during their time together as teammates with the Los Angeles Lakers. Lonzo also released “Vibes” with Enzo last year.
Will Guillory: Looks like Lonzo Ball will be dropping his “Bounce Back Album” on Friday. pic.twitter.com/Fq4Y7C2Xvh
Christian Clark: Looks like Lonzo Ball is back in New Orleans. Players were supposed to return to their home markets by today. Tomorrow everyone is supposed to get tested.
After Lonzo Ball teased a new song on Instagram earlier in the week, he and brother LiAngelo released a new song on Friday titled Tick Tock. Both LiAngelo and Lonzo have verses on the song, a difference from the last song involving LiAngelo and Lonzo titled “Don’t Shoot Me.” LiAngelo, who uses the name Doughboy G as his rap persona, took the first verse before Lonzo followed up with his own. It’s the first song Lonzo has had a verse on in nearly a year when he paired with Kenneth Paige for a music video. Also interestingly, the song is available on TIDAL which could be part of the family’s new deal with Roc Nation Sports and Jay-Z.
Roc Nation Sports: A new era. The game has been changed. Welcome to the family, @ZO2_ x @MELOD1P x @LiAngeloBall! #RocFam
On Complex’s Load Management podcast, The Athletic’s Shams Charania was asked about whether the Pelicans intend to pay both Brandon Ingram and Ball. Ingram is set to enter restricted free agency this off-season. “I do think Lonzo Ball’s going be in extension talks this summer. As far as Brandon Ingram, he’s positioned himself as a maximum contract player. I don’t expect that those conversations are going to go that extensive.”
Lonzo Ball continued using his large platform to spread awareness on the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last week. After sharing posts on Instagram, participating in #BlackOutTuesday and attending a peaceful protest in Chino Hills, Ball shared a new song on Wednesday featuring brother LiAngelo titled “Don’t Shoot Me.”
While the song doesn’t feature a verse from Lonzo, it does feature one from LiAngelo. The song, obviously, is a response to not just Floyd’s recent death but the death of innocent black people across the country for decades.
LiAngelo’s line is actually a fairly powerful one with some notable lines. “Cops picking us off one by one, this (expletive) cruelty, How we supposed to stay calm when they treat us like target practice.” Lonzo doesn’t have a line in the song but appears to have been involved in the process and certainly has a part in spreading the song to his large platorm.
Gayle Benson: Today, we spoke with Demario Davis, Lonzo Ball and JJ Redick. These players are passionate about finding a solution and working in solidarity with their fellow teammates. They are all committed to change, addressing action items and building towards future social change.
Roc Nation Sports has signed a large class of highly regarded NBA draft prospects, including point guard LaMelo Ball, a projected top-five pick. The agency recently signed Ball’s brother, New Orleans Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball, away from CAA Sports. Roc Nation NBA agent Raymond Brothers is representing both of the Ball brothers. LaMelo Ball, who played last season in Australia on the Illawarra Hawks of the National Basketball League, is ranked No. 3 overall by website nbadraft.net. Brothers is also representing No. 12-ranked Memphis forward Precious Achiuwa.
For now, the young star’s sights are set firmly on the short term, namely the 2020 NBA Draft on June 25. While coronavirus has put a big question mark over how the Draft will play out, LaMelo says he’s not picky about where he ends up. “It’s the NBA so I will play for any team. To play with Lonzo would be real cool. We talked about that growing up so it’ll be a dream come true.”
Asked Wednesday if he still feels that way about the Knicks, LaVar, a former practice squad tight end for the Jets, said, “I think so. The bright lights, East Coast, If everything lines up right, the Knicks get the first pick and get LaMelo and LiAngelo with him and somehow get Lonzo in the long run. Shoot – The Triple B’s. The Ball Brothers on Broadway.”
Complex Sports: “Look what happened to Kuzma (this year). They thought I was crazy when I was telling them Lonzo made Kuzma.” Face with tears of joy Lavar says without Lonzo, Zion wouldn’t have the buzz.
Are Rose’s Knicks interested in Lonzo Ball? What would it take to pry him from the Pelicans? — Matthew Lau. The Knicks would have more interest in LaMelo, who probably will be a top-three pick in the upcoming draft despite playing Down Under. The Knicks seek a scoring point guard in the draft and the 6-foot-7 LaMelo has the most upside despite a shaky delivery on his perimeter jump shot. Lonzo Ball also had struggled with technique but rebuilt his shot and is on the rise.
In an interview, LaVar Ball has claimed that his sons will all end up playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. Lonzo, the oldest, was selected in the 2017 Draft by LA but later traded to New Orleans for Anthony Davis; LaMelo is a projected lottery pick for the upcoming draft; LiAngelo, however, has still to make his debut in the NBA G League after signing for the Oklahoma City Blue.
“They just have this connection,” Holiday said. “It’s kind of like a quarterback and receiver. It’s like, where he throws it, I’m not saying Zion can’t jump out the gym, but he places in the right place, Zo does. I love to see it.” The connections aren’t an accident. Ball said the duo first started practicing the full-court lobs when the entire team was scrimmaging just before training camp opened in September. But he didn’t exactly tell Williamson the passes were coming. “I knew I could throw it,” Ball said, “I just wanted to see if he could catch it.” How’s that worked out? “I don’t think he’s missed one yet.”
It’s the most fun he has had in the NBA, perhaps in part because it’s the healthiest he’s been in his three NBA seasons. “It’s the most freedom I’ve had,” Ball told ESPN last month. “Just trying to do what I can, I’m out there 35 to 40 minutes a night now.” Ball struggled to start the season while nursing an ankle sprain that prevented him from having any summer workouts, and then missed six games in November with a strained adductor. Griffin said that in mid-December, Ball started changing his routine in the weight room and started to lift more on game days. It made him feel more explosive, Griffin said. In his last five games before the league’s suspension, Ball took it to another level, averaging 20.8 points, 7.8 assists, 7.8 rebounds and 2.2 steals while pushing his shooting averages to 53.5% and 51.2% from 3-point range.
Playing with a lob and post-up threat such as Williamson has made Ball’s game “very easy,” Ball said. “Whether it’s pick-and-roll or throwing lobs for him to go get it, he requires a lot of attention on the offensive end, so he frees up a lot of shots for the other guys, including myself,” Ball said. “It’s been a lot of fun playing with him on both sides of the ball.”
Jermaine Jackson confirmed that Lonzo, LaMelo and LiAngelo Ball are all preparing to sign with JAY-Z‘s Roc Nation Sports for representation. The sports management division will negotiate marketing opportunities for the brothers, including LaMelo’s sneaker contract which is still in negotiation. Speaking to ESPN, Jackson, who is LaMelo’s manager, referred to the news as a “family decision.” He said, “This is now an extended family. They put together a beautiful game plan with Jay-Z. The basketball game is about to change. They are going to create something totally new.”
LaMelo, Lonzo and LiAngelo Ball are planning to sign with Roc Nation Sports, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. “This was a family decision,” Jermaine Jackson, LaMelo Ball’s agent, told ESPN. “This is now an extended family. They put together a beautiful game plan with Jay-Z. The basketball game is about to change. They are going to create something totally new.” Roc Nation Sports is a branch of Jay-Z’s music management company, which he started in 2013. The company represents multiple sports and top NBA players like Kyrie Irving and Markelle Fultz.
Lonzo Ball leaving CAA agency
Emiliano Carchia: New Orleans Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball is parting ways with agency CAA, a source told @Emiliano Carchia
Oleh Kosel: David Griffin on the developing chemistry between Zion Williamson and Lonzo Ball: “I think they have a very special connection with one another.” Also added that Nicolo Melli has benefited w/ Zion in lineups and he’s been essential to provide spacing on the floor for Zion & Zo.
Jim Eichenhofer: Brandon Ingram on Lonzo Ball’s improvement as a shooter: “It’s a beautiful thing to see. He’s put in the work. He goes to the gym, even when I say I’m tired and I’m taking days off. He’s there all the time. He’s falling in love with the game of basketball. I like what he’s doing”
Ben Golliver: Pelicans’ Zion Williamson on his half-court lob connections w/ Lonzo Ball: “Even though they’re from so far away, he just puts it on a spot like he’s throwing a close lob from the elbow. He puts in on a perfect spot and I’m just able to get it.” pic.twitter.com/vmJmgi83FS
StatMuse: Lonzo in March: 25-11-6-2-1, 7 3s; 26-5-8-3-1, 7 3s; 19-9-9-3-1. He’s averaging 14/7/9/2/1 on 40 3P% since the new year. pic.twitter.com/HNpcfwsRrM
Jim Eichenhofer: Jrue Holiday on Lonzo Ball’s play and how Ball’s presence has benefited Holiday on defensive end, taking on tough assignments: “It’s fun. I like to see other people succeed. Seeing Zo do what he does, he looks pretty happy out there playing, he looks healthy. It’s good for me.”
Jim Eichenhofer: Alvin Gentry on Lonzo Ball: “I’ve been a fan of Zo since he came in the league. I just think playing in a system like we’ve got was going to enhance his game, and give him the opportunity to be who he really is.” NOLA No. 5 in #NBA in offense since Ball became permanent starter
Jim Eichenhofer: Brandon Ingram on Lonzo Ball defense (4 stl, 2 blk vs. Cle): “It goes unnoticed sometimes, because he does that night in and night out. He’s always anticipating a pass, always in the right spot. His on-ball defense is really, really good. That’s something he’s done every night.”
Jim Eichenhofer: Jrue Holiday, asked to describe Lonzo Ball’s style: “He’s more like a traditional (point guard), but mixed with a new era. The passes he makes are tough passes. The way he plays is like a quarterback, but he can also score, get into the paint. He does a little bit of everything.”
