When it was announced live on television that the Los Angeles Lakers received the second pick in the draft, the Ball family celebrated.
The Lakers got rid of the final three seasons of center Timofey Mozgov's $64 million contract in the deal, acquiring mobile center Brook Lopez - who has one year left on his deal - and the 27th overall pick used to get Utah forward Kyle Kuzma.
"I went to the high school", Johnson said. "I needed somebody also that can make the other players better and also [somebody] that players want to play with".
Still, it marked a sharp and surprising end to Russell's tenure with the Lakers. "I talked to the principal".
Johnson chimed in, saying, "I think the main thing here is Lonzo, all he needs to do is play his game. I'm not insane. I know it's going to take time to build and we're building, but when we get the right people in here, we're going to win".
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"I was born in '97, so I didn't really get to see him", Ball said. We've got to get the right people in place to do that, but we're building every step. The Lakers fully intend to fill their roster with star-caliber veterans, but don't expect to be able to truly do that until the summer of 2018 with its robust free-agent class.
The Lakers have drafted 90 players in the 38 years since Johnson arrived in Los Angeles. Johnson was asked about what will be different next summer, since he's essentially betting on himself to turn their fortunes around.
Johnson's harsh assessment of Russell contrasts with what he previously said about the point guard and what he believes Ball will bring to the franchise. "You see yourself. You see Jason Kidd". Okay, then. I've always bet on myself, right? "The Hardwood Classics came on, he'd call me in his room and we'd watch". I'm happy. I'm excited.
"We feel like Lonzo is a transcendent talent, and Magic and I knew the moment we scouted his game, the type of player he was and how he was raised", Pelinka said. Lakers fans should be excited. The tide has turned. "I think it's a good goal to set, so I'll definitely be chasing that" he said. What he knew about Magic Johnson, a superstar who last played in the National Basketball Association a year before he was born, came from the stories his father, LaVar, told and what he could glean from the grainy footage of games that replayed on cable television. "We knew that he could handle the pressure of being a Laker, Los Angeles and Hollywood at the same time".
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