Before the Los Angeles Lakers even selected Lonzo Ball with the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, most judged him based on his father, LaVar Ball. As his father continues to make controversial statements, the rookie says he is only focused on basketball (and rap) during the 2017-18 NBA season.

In a recent interview with ESPN Radio as transcribed by Josh Martin of Lonzo Wire, owner and president Jeanie Buss discussed how she is ultimately able to separate Ball from his father:

“I would ask that people judge Lonzo for himself,” Lakers owner Jeanie Buss said during a recent appearance on ESPN Radio in L.A. “How many people are judged by their family? That doesn’t work out for some people very well.”

In Ball's rookie season, he has already dealt with his fair share of highs and lows from shooting poorly to begin his career to his father's comments about head coach Luke Walton during the team's nine-game losing streak. Through all of this, the 20-year-old has handled the circumstances incredibly well with the media as he continues to reiterate his main focus.

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After missing 15 games with a knee injury, Ball recently returned on Feb. 23 against the Dallas Mavericks. In 17 minutes, the rookie point guard finished with nine points, seven rebounds, and six assists as the Lakers won their first game to begin the second half of the season. While Ball played well in his return, he will be on a minutes restriction for now and did not play in the second game of a back-to-back situation against the Sacramento Kings.

For the final 23 games, it will be interesting to see how Ball and Isaiah Thomas, who was acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers for Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr., will coexist. While the Lakers are 7.5 games behind the New Orleans Pelicans for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, they are just one game away from matching last season's win total.

With the Lakers on pace for at least 30 wins for the first time since the 2012-13 season, Buss and company are hoping the young core's improvement will make Los Angeles an attractive free agent destination once again.