Markelle Fultz motivated to put himself ‘further in front’ of Lonzo Ball

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Three weeks ago, Lonzo Ball told ESPN 710-AM he was better than Markelle Fultz, his chief competition to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft. Fultz responded on Tuesday in an interview with Sports Illustrated.

“I have a lot of respect for him, and he’s supposed to say that. Anyone that’s your competitor is going to think that they’re better,” Fultz told SI Now. “To me, it was just funny. He just motivated me to work harder and be sure I put myself further in front.”

Fultz, who played his freshman season at Washington before declaring for the NBA draft in March, is widely projected to be the No. 1 pick on June 22. Ball, who declared for the draft after his freshman year at UCLA, is often referenced as second-best prospect in the draft.

On March 28, Ball was asked who the better player is. “Markelle’s a great player, but I feel I’m better than him,” Ball told ESPN 710-AM. “I think I can lead a team better than him. Obviously he’s a great scorer — he’s a great player, so I’m not taking that away from him.”

Fultz acknowledged his budding rivalry with Ball in the interview with Sports Illustrated and addressed to the chances we’ll see him wearing Big Baller Brand apparel next year – “Over my dead body,” his mother, Ebony Fultz, said. Fultz doesn’t just want to be the No. 1 pick, he wants to win the NBA MVP next season.