Lonzo Ball Reveals Struggles of Getting Traded From Los Angeles Lakers

Lonzo Ball was born and raised in Los Angeles.

Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

When Lonzo Ball was first drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers, it was immediately seen as a significant moment. The hype around him at NBA Summer League made Lonzo feel like the second coming of Magic Johnson. Then suddenly, Ball was traded from home to Los Angeles, and it was his first time away from home.

During an episode of Lonzo Ball's The WAE Show, Lonzo Ball opened up on the struggles he faced when he was traded from the Los Angeles Lakers to the New Orleans Pelicans. The biggest issue for Ball was the inability to see his family and friends at every single game.

"I mean, it was just like the first time I was kind of away from home," Lonzo Ball said. "Playing in New Orleans, you know, I'm looking in the stands, I got a clear visual of everybody. Like L.A. I had at least 20-30 people at every game. In New Orleans, it was just you. I could talk to DMO like we at the gym."

.@ZO2_ speaks on the difficulties of transitioning from LA to NOLA pic.twitter.com/jD3wIC02EF

— The WAE Show (@TheWAEShow) July 11, 2024

Lonzo Ball wanted to reiterate that he liked the city of New Orleans and his former teammates Zion Williamson, Jrue Holiday, and JJ Redick. Ball's time on the Pelicans is what allowed him to develop into a proper NBA player. During the 2020-21 season with the team, he averaged 14.6 points, 5.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.5 steals on 41/38/78 shooting from the field.

While Lonzo Ball's time on the New Orleans Pelicans was nearly half a decade ago, he's only played half a season with the Chicago Bulls since then. Technically speaking, Lonzo Ball has played more games with the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans, even though he's spent more years with the Chicago Bulls. Hopefully, this is the year he can finally get healthy.

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