Lonzo Ball is a young man of few words. He speaks hoop. His court vision is immense. His basketball IQ would get him into Cambridge. His maturity is stunning, and he could be the next great Celtic.
For most of the next four weeks, college basketball takes center stage in the sports world, which is normal procedure, except in Boston, where there is more concern about David Price’s arm or Big Papi’s replacement.
Yet those Celtics fans who are truly interested in what the home team will do with the Brooklyn pick, potentially No. 1 overall, will need to pay attention to the NCAA Tournament and UCLA specifically, for which Ball is the starting point guard, floor leader, and perhaps the best player in America.
Ball, a 6-foot-6-inch, 190-pound freshman from Chino Hills, Calif., has been compared to Jason Kidd and Magic Johnson. He is going to enter June’s draft, and the skilled but quiet 19-year-old is tabbed as an NBA franchise cornerstone.
Ball is the oldest of three brothers. The younger two, LiAngelo and LaMelo, also have committed to play at UCLA. Lonzo has been in the headlines of late, and it has little to do with his on-court exploits.
While Lonzo is a whisper-quiet throwback, his father LaVar has roared to anyone who will listen that his son will be an all-time great, even saying that he is currently better than two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry. And he’s serious. LaVar Ball is an entertaining man who has raised three basketball prodigies, and like many parents, some delusional, he believes his sons are extraordinary.
In terms of Lonzo, he may be right. Ball is averaging 14.6 points, 7.7 assists (breaking the Pac-12 freshman record), and 6.1 rebounds for the No. 3 Bruins. He has single-handedly resurrected a program that was 15-17 last season, saving coach Steve Alford’s job. And unlike Kidd at the same level, Ball is a premium shooter, making 42 percent of his 3-point attempts this season.
“Look at what he did tonight,’’ Alford said after a recent win against Washington State. “We played him at the [power forward] spot. We played him probably 15 minutes of the second half and he probably did the best job on [6-foot-10-inch, 230-pound forward Josh] Hawkinson. He just makes remarkable plays. He just makes everybody else better. I’ve said all along, he can beat you by getting four field goals, he can beat you by getting 14 assists. He’s just very special that way.’’
And LaVar Ball has no issue with touting his eldest son.
“Whatever team he goes to, he’s going to do wonders for that team,’’ LaVar told the Globe. “Whether it be the Lakers, Celtics, Phoenix, anybody.’’
As a youth coach, LaVar said he helped to build his sons into top players by placing them on the worst teams with the worst players. He said he figured that if Lonzo could win with marginal players, he could win with good ones. Playing with those of lesser talent taught Lonzo leadership and accepting responsibility, LaVar said. When you lose, it’s your fault. When you win, it’s because of your teammates.
“If you can win with people that can’t play, that makes you special,’’ LaVar said. “Anybody can win when they’ve got all the best players. So that kind of made him [better] for whatever situation he was in, to always be the underdog. Give me whatever you want to give me; I’m going to do my best to help this team win.’’
When asked about his unselfish style, Lonzo said it was his nature. “If you’re a point guard you should get your teammates involved before you,’’ he said. “That’s how I’ve been playing my whole life. It’s been a pretty smooth transition [to college]. Guys are a little bit bigger, a little bit stronger, but the basketball’s the same.’’
There was little emotion or expression when he talked. Ball is focused on the next game. There is no hint of pressure that perhaps his father’s words have generated. Maybe because he doesn’t feel it.
“As soon as they came out of the womb and were mine, I knew they were going to be special,’’ LaVar Ball said of his sons. “I played my boys [with kids] seven or eight years [older]. My boys ain’t scared of nothing. You just play hard. Everybody is not built for this, but my boys are built for this because basketball is having a passion.
“People say I’m putting pressure on Lonzo. Lonzo knows what I’m about and I know what he’s about. There’s no pressure in basketball. It’s not life-threatening. Instead of going to the movies, go watch the Ball brothers play. Me and my wife, we are not needy, we don’t need anything. There’s no pressure on him.’’
LaVar Ball said because he was able to raise his sons comfortably in an affluent Los Angeles suburb, Lonzo has no burden to have to help support his family. He can concentrate on playing.
“I can see it now,’’ LaVar said. “Come on, Lonzo, I need you to make some money so I can move out of Chino Hills because this swimming pool and these hills are killing me. There’s no pressure. If what I’m saying makes a team not draft Lonzo, guess what? He ain’t supposed to be there anyway.’’
While LaVar Ball said he would prefer Lonzo play on the West Coast, and preferably for the Lakers, he said he hasn’t studied the draft lottery or the teams likely involved.
“He’s going to be a Laker and I am going to speak it into existence,’’ LaVar Ball joked. “He’s the first pick and he goes to the Lakers. Or Boston could have the first pick and their guy Markelle [Fultz of Washington], and then the Lakers get the second pick and pick my son. I just hope he’s a Laker, that’s all. That would be my preference.
“But let’s say the Boston Celtics get him and don’t let him go, OK, that’s fine with me. As long as he’s playing basketball, my son is going to be happy. He just wants to play.’’
Gary Washburn can be reached at gwashburn@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GwashburnGlobe.
