The Los Angeles Lakers know that point guard Lonzo Ball is good at basketball. It's why they drafted him with the No. 2 overall pick this past June. But what might be more surprising to them and the rest of the NBA is Ball's musical talent.
The 19-year-old graced the airwaves with his debut rap single titled "Melo Ball 1" on Friday. And, no, the lyrical flow is not about New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony.
Rather, the two-minute song is a tribute to his younger brother, LaMelo, who just became the first high school player to have his own signature shoe. Released by the Big Baller Brand, LaMelo's kicks are called the "Melo Ball 1s."
Lonzo, who recently rapped at LaMelo's 16th birthday party, expanded upon that performance this week with lines such as "On the ball, that's just what it is. I'm a king, lil' bro a prince. Throwin' racks and you throwin' fits. How you hatin' and you bangin' this?"
Prior to releasing the track that also features Kenneth Paige, Ball had kept another rap video prominently pinned to the top of his Twitter profile for more than a year. The minute-long clip, which has since been replaced by a "Melo Ball 1" promotion, showed Lonzo free-styling in a car while LaMelo displayed a variety of basketball shoes in the backseat.
Yerm Team #sogonechallenge pic.twitter.com/w1Q712wnKC
— Lonzo Ball (@ZO2_) August 12, 2016
It's clear that Ball likes to rap, but his opinions about the musical genre have come under fire in recent weeks.
Last month, he made controversial comments about hip-hop legend Nas during the first episode of his new "Ball in the Family" reality television show. The remarks drew the ire of rapper Lil B, who ultimately held back from inflicting one of his infamous curses upon Ball.
The former UCLA Bruins standout isn't the first point guard to dabble in the rap game as an NBA rookie. Future Hall of Famer Jason Kidd, whom many believe is the type of player that Ball can become, put out a single called "What The Kidd Did" in 1994.
-- Nick Ostiller
