Lonzo Ball: Los Angeles Lakers pick promising point guard in NBA draft

Lonzo Ball was introduced by NBA commissioner Adam Silver (left) as the NBA's number two overall pick

The Los Angeles Lakers have picked Lonzo Ball in the NBA draft - a player who has 1.7m Instagram followers and has played only one college season.

Ball, a 19-year-old point guard from nearby city Anaheim, has been compared to Lakers great Magic Johnson, the president of basketball operations.

"He's the best point guard to play," Ball said of Johnson. "If I can come halfway short, you know it'll be good.

"So I'm looking to go in there and just learn from day one."

In his one college season with UCLA, the 6ft 6in player led the country with 7.6 assists per game.

LaVar Ball - a former player for American football team the London Monarchs - is Lonzo's father and has been his main representative and leading cheerleader.

In March, the outspoken Ball Sr said that his son was better than Stephen Curry, who recently led Golden State Warriors to the NBA title. He also said that Ball was better than LeBron James, who has won three NBA championships.

He also runs a clothing website which sells trainers with his son's branding for $495 (£389). Four-time NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal criticised the pricing.

Top pick makes Instagram gaffe

The Philadelphia 76ers had the first pick of the draft and chose 19-year-old University of Washington guard Markelle Fultz.

He averaged 23 points per game, along with more than five rebounds and five assists.

"It was unbelievable, really," Fultz said when asked about being announced as top pick. "It was something out of a dream."

The news was also announced through his Instagram account but there were glaring errors in what appeared to be a pre-written post.

It read: "Excited to head to (City) and join the (team name). @Tissot.us is helping me get started with my (team name) watch. #ThisIsMyTime #NBADraft."

The post was amended later.

Fultz's original Instagram post