Lonzo Ball discusses friendship with close friend, former teammate Julius Randle

Through his four seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans, Lonzo Ball has seen many teammates come and go. Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart have been the mainstays along Ball’s side throughout the years and few players have spent more than a season alongside him.

Despite the relatively short time spent with various teammates, some notable bonds have been formed. While his relationship with Ingram has been long-discussed, his relationship with Julius Randle has not nearly as much.

Ball’s rookie season doubled as Randle’s final year in Los Angeles. The two may have spent just one year together but their bond has lasted since.

In his recent talk with Stadium and The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Ball discussed his improvement as a vocal leader during his career, which included a story about the origins of his friendship with Randle.

“When I was with the Lakers, we had a team meeting early on (when) we were losing games and coaches were getting on some guys and then I just I spoke up for my teammates and I said what I felt. I think ever since then, I formed a really good bond with one of my close friends to this day, Julius Randle. I spoke up for him and I think ever since that day, we’ve been cool. Just things like that, just speaking my mind and I definitely have to remind myself to speak up or sometimes when I don’t even want to say something, just to say something just to get the guys together and try to move forward.”

Astute followers of Ball’s career would know the relevance and significance of his relationship with Randle. As the final days of the season tick down and the Pelicans look more and more like a team that will be on the outside looking in of the playoff race, Ball’s time in New Orleans could be entering its final weeks.

One of the biggest suspected competitors for Ball’s services this offseason in restricted free agency? The New York Knicks, led this season by the brilliance of Randle. A bond between the two certainly makes the Knicks are more intriguing free agent destination.

At the same time, Ball has also spent the last four seasons alongside Ingram and the last two seasons with Williamson, two people he also considers close friends. It’ll make for an interesting tug of war this upcoming offseason.