LeBron commends Lonzo amid media hype: 'I love his humility'

The softspoken Lonzo Ball might be unfairly chastised for his father LaVar Ball's boasting, but the NBA's best player can see through all the hype.

LeBron James will get his first look at the rookie guard when the Cleveland Cavaliers host the Los Angeles Lakers at Quicken Loans Arena on Wednesday night. Following Cleveland's win over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, and with the Lakers-Knicks game playing in the background, James praised Ball for the way he conducts himself amid all the media coverage.

"The kid hasn't said anything," James told ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "It's been everybody else. So, I love his humility. He goes out, every time someone asks him a question, he says, 'This is not about me, man. I just want to win. I don't care about what I did.' I seen he had a triple-double one game and they lost. He was like, 'I don't care. We lost.'"

Ball has shown promise in every facet of his game except shooting. He's demonstrated terrific court awareness and poise, can outrebound others at his position with his 6-foot-6 frame, and is steadily improving as a defender.

Ultimately, though, what type of player he'll be is anyone's guess.

"No one knows what he's going to become," James said. "No one knows with anybody when you're drafted. I don't care if you're drafted 60 or you're drafted first. Did anybody imagine that Isaiah Thomas would be the player that he is today? Being the 'Mr. Irrelevant' that they call it? Did anybody know that I would be the player I am? Everybody can think and say and do these things and say, 'Oh, he has this (attribute) and that (attribute).'"

Ball ranks 12th in rookie scoring (8.9), fourth in rebounding (6.9), and second in assists (seven) for the 10-16 Lakers.