UCLA broadcaster and former NBA player Tracy Murray on Lonzo Ball: ‘He’s like Magic Johnson’

Earlier this week, Lonzo Ball worked out with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers hold the second pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Many have compared Ball to Lakers great Magic Johnson.  Did Magic Johnson see himself during Ball’s workout with the team? According to former NBA star, and current color commentator for the radio broadcast of UCLA basketball Tracy Murray, maybe Magic did see a little of himself during that workout.

“If you guys are expecting him to go get 25, 30 points a game that’s not going to happen. He may get it every now and then, but he’s the type of guy, he’s like a Magic Johnson, man,” Murray told Paul Gant.

“He’s going to make everybody else on his team better. He rather win the game, than to be the guy that goes out and gets 30 a game and lose. He’s a total team guy first, and I think that’s valuable. Especially in this day and age to value the team first, put them first in a “me society” where everybody is trying to get paid. He’s going to get his money because he’s going to win championships because he’s making everybody else better,” Murray said.

Murray expects Lonzo Ball to impact the game in many different ways on the next level:

“I expect big things, and people are going to look at it like, ‘man, he’s only averaging like 15 points a game, what’s the big deal?’ That’s not the big deal. It’s 15, 10 or 11 assists, seven, eight rebound, couple steals, and you win. That’s the big deal.”

When asked if teams should worry about Lonzo Ball’s father LaVar, Murray had this to say:

“No, because he didn’t get in the way of what UCLA was doing, so expect him not to get in the way of whatever a NBA team is doing,” Murray said.  

Murray does have one concern when it comes to LaVar Ball:

“The only thing you have to worry about with LaVar Ball is going on these shows and talking. That’s what you’re going to see out of him. If there’s a question that’s going to be asked of him, and maybe things are not going as well as it should. He’s going to point it out. He’s not going to sugarcoat it,” Murray said. “Now, that’s the only thing you gotta to worry about with LaVar Ball, but you’re not going to have to worry about him coming in the office and say, ‘look you need to this with my son, we going to do this, we going to do that.’ Yes, he talks that on-air, but he’s never interfered with UCLA basketball in that manner, and I don’t think he’ll do it on the NBA level.”

Based on what Murray is saying, Lonzo Ball is a franchise caliber player. Should be interesting to see if Magic Johnson believes Lonzo Ball is Magic Johnson come draft day!