Lonzo Ball says he’d rather play for the Lakers than be the No. 1 pick

Lonzo Ball told ESPN’s SportsNation that he’d rather play for the Lakers if it meant not being the top pick in the draft.

Lonzo Ball told ESPN’s SportsNation that he’d rather play for the Lakers if it meant not being the top pick in the draft.

"All my family’s in L.A. so to be able to play in front of then, I think that would mean more to me,” Ball said when asked. The loud cries of his father LaVar are audible in the background, somewhat humorously. The UCLA guard took college basketball by storm with his on-court panache this season, and turned pro as soon as the Bruins bowed out in the Sweet 16.

Ball is not currently the consensus top pick — that dubious honor belongs to Washington guard Markelle Fultz. Ball played at nearby Chino Hills High School with both his brothers, who are both committed to UCLA. LiAngelo, the middle brother, will play for the Bruins next season.

We are sure to hear this debate a few hundred times between now and the June 22 draft.