Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball and Dallas Mavericks rookie Dennis Smith Jr. have known each other for quite some time. On Saturday, the two got to face off against each other as NBA players.

The Lakers came away with the overtime win, but Smith got the better of the matchup with his old friend, scoring 23 points to Ball's nine. After the game, Smith had some comments about Ball's demeanor, per Brad Townsend of Dallas News.

“Zo, he was just out there being Zo,” Smith said. “He's cool. He's chilling.”

Meaning what, exactly?

“It means he's got a cool demeanor,” Smith said. “He's been like that since 10th grade. Zo is Zo.”

This is just another one of the examples of NBA players and coaches talking positively about the way Ball carries himself now that he's in the NBA. When any basketball team comes to Staples Center to play the Lakers for a road game, it's a foregone conclusion that a reporter will ask the opposing coach what they think of Ball.

So far, the responses have been overwhelmingly positive. No player or coach has said anything that would cause a stir for Lakers or NBA fans, and they usually say that Ball is a professional and just plays the game the right way.

That being said, what else are they supposed to say? The day a player or coach says something disparaging about Ball, that will be a huge story.

But with Smith being a friend of Ball, it stands to reason that he will be complimentary of Ball and his overall demeanor.