Lonzo, LaVar Ball Say It'd Be a 'Blessing' to Join Lakers on ESPN's 'First Take'

Former UCLA star and NBA prospect Lonzo Ball said he would love to play for his hometown Los Angeles Lakers during an interview on ESPN's First Take on Monday.

"At the end of the day, I'll play for any team," he said on the show. "The NBA is the NBA, but it would be a blessing to be able to play for the Lakers just because it’s in L.A., I’m from here, my whole family’s here."

He also said he's never seen his father lose in a one-on-one game:

LaVar Ball, meanwhile, believes his son will improve now that basketball will be his career and priority:

LaVar Ball also noted during the interview that growing bigger and stronger will help his son, although he did point out some areas of improvement following UCLA's Sweet 16 loss to Kentucky.

"After the game, I was telling him, 'Hey, man, you've got that mid-range. You've gotta use that. You've gotta attack that and be a little more aggressive.' It's all about learning, which is good for him because he's got to grow. He's got a lot more to do."

While there are some questions about Ball—namely his on-ball defense and the lack of a mid-range game—the young point guard is still widely considered a likely top-three pick at this year's NBA draft. Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman had Ball as the No. 2 prospect on his latest big board, while ESPN Insider Chad Ford has Ball at No. 1.

Ball averaged an impressive 14.6 points, 7.6 assists and 6.0 rebounds per game in his freshman season, instantly improving UCLA. And it's highly possible he could do the same for the Lakers next year, as the team currently has the second-worst record in the NBA and could be in a position to draft the talented point guard.