By his own admission, Aaron Brooks did not expect to either be a teammate of LaMelo Ball’s nor did he expect to enjoy the experience. But Brooks admitted that he was pleasantly surprised by his experience with Ball during their handful of games together with the Illawarra Hawks.
Brooks recently detailed what it was like to be a teammate of Ball’s in an interview with TMZSports.
“Just a regular kid, man. I don’t know how he adapts so well. I know at 18, if I had to go through all that, it’d be kind of overwhelming for me. But I think since he’s been a kid, he’s kind of went through it. It doesn’t phase him at all. It’s kind of a lifestyle for him. He, actually, gets through it very well. Kudos to him and his team and what they’ve been doing.”
While Brooks was surprised by Ball off the court, he also was impressed by his willingness to learn on the court and what type of teammate he was during the season.
“He’s a real good guy. Just a real good teammate. Friendly, easy-going. Still trying to learn. Real wet behind the ears. That’s good to have, as a young guy at 18 years old, somebody that’s ready to learn.”
After spending the season with him, even if an abbreviated one, Brooks expects big things from Ball in the future.
“I know he has a lot more improving to do. I know that he’s going to be good because he wants to be good. He wants to be great. I’m just excited for him to get started and hopefully, he lands into a good place that helps him development.”
Brooks certainly has seen and been around enough NBA players young and old to have a well-informed take on how talented Ball is and whether he can make it in the NBA. Brooks spent 10 seasons in the NBA and played with some talented teams in that span, mainly in Houston.
