Magic Johnson likens LaMelo to himself: 'He's a gym rat like I was'

Magic Johnson had plenty of praise for LaMelo Ball following his All-Star Game debut.

Appearing on SiriusXM NBA Radio on Tuesday, Johnson described Ball as "exciting" and said he sees a bit of himself in the Charlotte Hornets guard.

"He is a great creator of shots for his teammates. He puts on a show at the same time. He's exciting to watch," Johnson said. "He has high basketball IQ. I think that when you look at him, he's only going to get better, and better, and better, and he's a gym rat like I was. So every year, he's going to improve and look to get better."

Ball finished with 18 points, three rebounds, three assists, and three steals on 7-of-11 shooting from the field and 4-of-8 shooting from 3-point range in Sunday's All-Star Game. Johnson expects to see a lot more All-Star appearances from Ball in the future.

"He's gonna be at the All-Star Weekend, I think next year on, every single year because he has that type of game," Johnson said, adding, "they're building something special down in Charlotte, and it starts with him at the point guard position."