Four years removed, P.J. Washington’s memory is crystal clear and he certainly has no doubt about that.
In 2016, Washington’s Findlay Prep side squared off with LaMelo’s (and LiAngelo’s) Chino Hills in a preseason showcase. The contest saw Findlay Prep jump out to a big lead and hold off a Chino Hills comeback to earn the unofficial win.
Now, as Washington is set to be teammates with Ball, the topic of that scrimmage was brought up again in Wednesday’s media availability and he was quick to bring up the result once more.
“I think we definitely won that game,” he said with a smile. “When we played Chino Hills, we…got layups the whole game. They were just getting rebounds and trying to throw it down court really fast. They played a fast game. LaMelo was a lot smaller. He was hitting shots but at the end of the day, we won the game.
“It was definitely fun to play against and it’s definitely fun to have him here now. I’m excited to see what he can do for us. I’m excited to play on his team and I’m excited to help guide him through his rookie year.”
There are no official stats from the contest, though it’s not entirely unlikely Washington remembers how many points he scored in the game as well. That version of Ball is vastly different than the one stepping onto the court in Charlotte this year and the 2020 version has Washington excited for the future.
“I think his playmaking ability is extremely remarkable for his age,” he said. “He can pass the ball really well. He can score, he can do a lot of things off the dribble and he’s a lot taller than what I expected. For him, just being that young and being that talented is definitely exciting for our program. I’m excited to have him here and I feel like we got one of the best picks in the draft.”
Both Ball and Washington
