It feels like a lifetime ago. Honestly, the NBA landscape shifts so fast that thinking back to the mid-2010s feels like digging through ancient history. But if you're asking when was Lonzo Ball drafted, the answer takes us back to a very specific, high-voltage night in Brooklyn: June 22, 2017.
That evening at the Barclays Center wasn't just another draft. It was a circus.
Magic Johnson was grinning in the front office. LaVar Ball was wearing a "Big Baller Brand" hat that matched the Lakers' purple and gold. The hype was, frankly, suffocating. Lonzo Ball was the hometown kid from Chino Hills, the UCLA standout with the weird jumper and the genius-level vision, and he was being hailed as the savior of a franchise that had been wandering in the wilderness since Kobe Bryant’s decline.
The 2017 NBA Draft: Where Lonzo Landed
Lonzo Ball was selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the first round.
The Philadelphia 76ers had the first pick and took Markelle Fultz, a move that would eventually become one of the biggest "what-ifs" in league history due to Fultz's mysterious shoulder issues. That left the door wide open for the Los Angeles Lakers. They didn't hesitate. They wanted Lonzo. They needed Lonzo, or at least they thought they did.
He was 19 years old.
Think about that pressure for a second. Most 19-year-olds are trying to figure out how to pass a psych elective or manage a laundry schedule. Lonzo was being handed the keys to the most storied franchise in basketball. He was the centerpiece of a class that included Jayson Tatum (who went third), De'Aaron Fox, and Donovan Mitchell.
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The room was electric. When Adam Silver called his name, it felt like a foregone conclusion, yet it still sent shockwaves through the league. The Lakers traded D'Angelo Russell to the Nets just days prior specifically to clear the way for Ball to be their undisputed floor general.
The UCLA Connection and the Rise of the Big Baller
You can't talk about Lonzo being drafted without talking about that single season at UCLA. He was a sensation. He averaged 14.6 points, 7.6 assists, and 6.0 rebounds. But the stats didn't tell the whole story. It was the way he moved the ball. He played "hit-ahead" basketball, a style that prioritized tempo and unselfishness.
Magic Johnson saw himself in Lonzo. That was the blessing and the curse. Magic famously told the media that Lonzo’s jersey should one day hang in the rafters before the kid had even played a Summer League game.
Talk about setting the bar high.
Why the Timing of Lonzo’s Draft Mattered
The 2017 draft happened during a weird transition for the NBA. The Warriors were a juggernaut. LeBron James was still in Cleveland, plotting his next move. The Lakers were coming off a dismal 26-56 season.
They were desperate for an identity.
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Lonzo represented a shift back to "Showtime." His draft night was the peak of the Big Baller Brand mania. Remember the shoes? The ZO2s? They were priced at $495, a move that was as arrogant as it was fascinating. It made Lonzo a polarizing figure before he ever stepped onto the hardwood at Staples Center.
People either wanted him to be the next Jason Kidd or they wanted him to fail spectacularly just to see his father's reaction. There was no middle ground.
What People Often Forget About That Night
Everyone remembers Lonzo going to the Lakers, but do you remember who else was in that mix?
The 2017 draft was loaded with talent that, in hindsight, might have changed the Lakers' trajectory. Jayson Tatum was right there. Josh Jackson was a highly-rated prospect. De'Aaron Fox had actually outplayed Lonzo in the NCAA Tournament. But the Lakers were locked in. They were enamored with the local kid's passing.
The scouts were worried about his shooting form—that "fling" from the left side of his head—but they figured they could fix it.
The Evolution Since 2017
Since being drafted in 2017, Lonzo’s career has been a rollercoaster. He isn't with the Lakers anymore, obviously. He was eventually traded to the New Orleans Pelicans as part of the massive package that brought Anthony Davis to LA.
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And it worked! The Lakers got a ring in 2020.
Lonzo, meanwhile, totally transformed his game. He went from being a "broken" shooter to one of the most reliable three-point threats in the league. By the time he signed his $80 million deal with the Chicago Bulls in 2021, he had become the ultimate "winning" player—a defensive menace who could ignite a fast break and hit 40% of his threes.
Then, the injuries hit.
The meniscus issues and the subsequent surgeries have kept him off the court for massive stretches. It’s a tragedy for basketball fans because, when he's healthy, he is one of the smartest players in the world.
Takeaways for Fans and Collectors
If you're looking back at the 2017 draft for sports cards or memorabilia purposes, Lonzo’s rookie year is still a cornerstone of that era. His Panini Prizm cards and the various BBB "limited editions" are artifacts of a very specific moment in pop culture.
- Rookie Year: 2017-2018.
- Draft Position: 2nd Overall.
- Key Fact: He was the first player to have his own independent signature shoe before the draft.
Looking at it now, 2017 wasn't just the year Lonzo Ball was drafted; it was the year the NBA fully embraced the "player-as-a-brand" era. Lonzo was the guinea pig for a new kind of stardom.
Moving Forward
To truly understand Lonzo Ball's place in NBA history, you have to look past the "bust" labels some people tried to stick on him early on. He didn't become Magic Johnson 2.0, but he became an elite modern guard who impacted winning in every facet of the game.
The next step for anyone following his career is to track his medical recovery milestones. His comeback attempts in Chicago are some of the most watched storylines in the league. If he can return to the form he showed in early 2022, he remains one of the most effective backcourt players in the game. Watch for his practice footage—specifically his lateral movement and weight distribution on that left knee—as that is the only real indicator of whether he'll return to the 2017-level athleticism that made him a top-two pick.