Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray got into some hot water recently when he derisively dribbled past Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball while running down the clock on a big Nuggets win. Lakers forward Julius Randle took offense to that stunt as he went over and fouled Murray to express his displeasure.
Ball, though, had a more laid-back approach to the incident than his teammate, according to USA Today’s Sam Amick.
“My back was turned (on Murray when he pulled his stunt), but I really don’t pay no mind to it,” Ball said. “I don’t feed into it. I know everybody’s trying to get under my skin and stuff, but I don’t let it get to me. I came in expecting everything, pretty much. Nothing has really been out of (what he was expecting), so it’s cool.”
Ball is quickly establishing a reputation during his rookie year as a non-confrontational character. He famously walked away while his teammates were getting involved in a scuffle against the Phoenix Suns earlier this season. And now, he’s apparently willing to shrug off an incident where an opponent seemingly disrespected him.
There will almost surely be a wide range of opinions as to what it says about Ball that he’s choosing not to make a bigger deal out of this controversy. Not caring about it is a completely reasonable stance for him to have, though. Besides, Ball has much bigger problems to worry about at the moment than getting angry about other players dribbling past him.
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