Magic Johnson And LA Lakers Welcome New Point Guard Lonzo Ball To The Team

The 2017 NBA Draft played out like most people thought it would. Draftee Lonzo Ball from UCLA was picked No.2 overall just like the mock draft projected. With the Los Angeles Lakers No. 2 pick, they selected the coveted guard and introduced him to the world. Lakers President Magic Johnson had high expectations for the young guard and the future of the franchise.

During the Lakers opening press conference Friday, Johnson welcomed the Lakers new point guard with a wide grin and open arms. "Look at my face, do you see that smile, do you see it?" he said Friday during the conference. "OK then! I’ve always bet on myself, right?" he said, adding, "The tide has turned.”

The Lakers president is focused on the future of the franchise and making sure that the team gets back to its former glory days when superstars Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant led the Lakers to multiple championship titles. The Lakers were abysmal this past season with only 26 wins and 56 losses and even worse last year with just 17 wins during the 2016 season. But with Ball, the Lakers are hoping to turn things around. As a college freshman in 2016–17, he broke the UCLA record for most assists in a season. Ball averaged 14.6 points, 7.6 assists, and 6.0 rebounds.

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Johnson admires Ball and said he believes Ball can restore the Lakers to their glory days, along with the team that they are building. The Lakers president made a trade that sent former point guard D'Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets last Tuesday for Brook Lopez and the 27th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. He apparently wasn’t happy with the lack of leadership that Russell encompassed.

"I’m going to do what it takes to get the right players in here with the right mindset. D’Angelo is an excellent player. He has the talent to be an All-Star. We want to thank him for what he did for us. But what I needed was a leader," Johnson told reporters. " I needed somebody also that can make the other players better and also that players want to play with."

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He added, "We want guys who are mentally tough, gym rats, guys who love the game," he said. "We want guys with no baggage. We want winners. Just like the guys we used to build the Showtime Lakers."

Johnson has high hopes for Ball and future of the Lakers. He and general manager Rob Pelinka have a good feeling about what they are building with Ball and the rest of the new-look Lakers.

"I can sense the buzz, people can see that we’re building a championship team here, changing the culture here," he said during the press conference. "I’m not crazy, I know it’s going to take us a while to build. But we’re going to get the right people in here and win."

He added: "There’s just a renewed energy around here. We feel it in the offices every day. I think clearly with Earvin’s vision and just his persona, I really think the organization is taking on the positive joy that he seems to live with every day."