Kobe Bryant doesn’t particularly care about the noise surrounding Lonzo Ball—most of it generated by his father LaVar.
The Black Mamba says Lonzo just needs to put in the work to become a great player; everything else is “completely inconsequential.”
Talked to @KobeBryant today about Lonzo Ball and the perception that he is overburdened by expectation.
“If there was ever an idea that he was going to come to Los Angeles and fly below the radar and develop, that doesn’t happen.”https://t.co/cbXb2s69dr
— Bill Oram (@billoram) December 13, 2017
Bryant knows the built-in pressure that comes with playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, something unlike Ball, he began to feel well after his rookie season.
Per the OC Register:
“That stuff is completely inconsequential,” [Bryant] said. “The only time that matters is when he has to think of an answer. What matters is what he does in the gym before practice, during practice and after practice. That’s the only thing that matters.”
This, perhaps, is the only way it ever was going to go for Ball, drafted No. 2 overall, expected to replace Bryant as the face of the franchise and get the Lakers deep into the playoffs sooner than later.
“Whether or not he had the hype from his father,” Bryant said, “there would still be a lot of pressure and expectation because he’s playing for the Lakers.
“If there was ever an idea that he was going to come to Los Angeles and fly below the radar and develop, that doesn’t happen.”
