Luke Walton Says He's a 'Big Fan' of Lonzo Ball, LaVar Is a 'Big Personality'

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton doesn't seem to be worried about the potential of dealing with LaVar Ball's major presence if the Lakers make his son, Lonzo Ball, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 draft.

"My dad's got a big personality too," Walton told TMZ Sports. "I'm used to that type of stuff. To me, I'm a fan of [Lonzo Ball's] game and the way that he plays."  

You can see the full interview below:

"I'm a big fan of [Lonzo's] game," he added. "I went and watched him play at Pauley [Pavilion]. He plays the right way, he's unselfish and whatever team he ends up on, he's gonna make that team a lot better."

It's widely believed that team will be the Lakers. Both B/R's Jonathan Wasserman and ESPN Insider Chad Ford projected Ball to L.A. in their latest mocks.

"Ball stands out as the lone prospect capable of helping the Lakers expedite their rebuild more quickly," Wasserman wrote. "They'll have to add defenders in free agency, but all signs point to Ball running the show next year in L.A."

And Ford added, "Ball as a potential Laker has been discussed for months, and it appears to be destiny. He has that Showtime quality that the Lakers have been missing since Kobe Bryant retired. And D'Angelo Russell should have no problem moving over to the 2 full time."

Much of the story surrounding Lonzo Ball has been off the court as it relates to his father, however, who has repeatedly made controversial comments and dominated the news cycle in unprecedented fashion for the parent of a draft prospect.

There are on-court questions as well, however, namely whether Ball and Russell will co-exist in the backcourt and if the Lakers can overcome the defensive struggles that pairing would surely bring. And it's still possible the Lakers might even believe players like De'Aaron Fox or Josh Jackson are better players and won't draft Ball at all.

For the time being, however, it seems safe to project Ball to the Lakers, where his playmaking and elite passing should improve the Lakers drastically, at least on the offensive end. As for the off-court noise, Walton doesn't seem to be worried.