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If one thing can be taken away from media day for the Los Angeles Lakers besides the arrival of LeBron James, it's the respect that veteran point guard Rajon Rondo already has in the team's locker room before the start of the 2018-19 NBA season.
Rondo was praised by his teammates one after the other on Monday at the team's practice facility with Lonzo Ball being one of the many to express respect for the one-time NBA champion. Ball has been tasked with learning under the savvy veteran during his sophomore with Rondo set to be a mentor for the promising young point guard. Film sessions will apparently play a major role in the mentorship.
“I watched Rondo a lot growing up, especially when he played for Boston,” Ball said. “Rajon is usually the smartest dude on the court, every time. Just watching him play pickup 5-on-5 is crazy because he's talking the whole time. For me, I want to be more of a vocal leader, so he can definitely help me with that.
“We already had a film session. It's probably one of the best film sessions I ever had, so I'm definitely going to learn a lot from him this year.”
Although Ball is already a talented floor general and should thrive playing alongside LeBron, Rondo's guidance can help him take it to another level on both ends of the court. Few players in the NBA today can match the court vision and presence of Rondo at the point guard position even at this stage of his career. Ball stands to benefit greatly from learning from a player of his caliber.
The real question moving forward is whether Ball will come off the bench to start his second season in the league. At this point, it seems as though Luke Walton and company are going with LeBron as the only guaranteed starter with the start of the season less than a month away.
The second-year guard may benefit from a role off the bench while learning under Rondo. It remains to be seen whether that's the route the team decides to go, but it is a realistic option.
