Lonzo Ball Says NCAA Should Pay Players: 'Everybody's Getting Paid Anyway'

Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball said Friday he believes college basketball players should be paid.

Asked for his opinion by Shahan Ahmed of NBC Los Angeles, Ball said: "All the money they generate for the programs and stuff, it's kind of an unfair system. ... Everybody knows everybody's getting paid and that's how it is. Everybody's getting paid anyway. You might as well make it legal. That's how I feel."

Despite his comments, Ball told Ahmed he wasn't paid while attending UCLA: "My dad's not big on that, so just kinda focused on going there and getting out."

Ball's comments came the same day Pat Forde and Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports reported details on a federal probe into college basketball.

Forde and Thamel listed Duke, North Carolina, Texas, Kentucky, Michigan State, USC and Alabama as schools involved in the investigation, among others. They named Michigan State's Miles Bridges, Alabama's Collin Sexton and Duke's Wendell Carter as players who may have received impermissible benefits.

Dallas Mavericks guard Dennis Smith Jr., Philadelphia 76ers guard Markelle Fultz and Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo were mentioned as well.

Ball spent one season at UCLA before the Lakers selected him with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft behind Fultz.

He has missed the past 15 games with a knee injury but is set to return to action Friday against the Mavericks.