"Do I Want To Win Or Do I Want To Be Liked?": Isiah Thomas Gives His Honest Thoughts On LaMelo Ball

Isiah Thomas knows what it’s like to draw the ire of fans and opponents alike. He garnered success in spite of it, and if you ask Thomas, drawing hostile reactions can help one of today’s brightest stars get to the next level.

Speaking on Peacock’s “NBA Showtime,” the two-time NBA champion talked about LaMelo Ball tapping into his vast potential. According to Thomas, Ball will have to get used to vitriol if he wants to win big in the league.

“Right now, he’s an entertainer. Fun guy,” Thomas said of the Charlotte Hornets guard. “He walks into a room, and it lights up. All the players in the league like him. When they start hating him and disliking him, that’s when he’ll start winning.”

These are interesting comments from Thomas, who comes from a vastly different era and played a style that sharply contrasts Ball’s approach to the game. Whereas Ball is known for his flashy passes that fit well in an up-tempo system, Thomas was proficient at picking apart half-court defenses at a time when the game was played at a slower pace.

Though both players were high lottery picks in their respective draft classes, Ball has earned just one All-Star selection five years into his NBA career, whereas Thomas made the All-Star team for 12 consecutive seasons. Though Ball has a long way to go, he has plenty of work to do to live up to the standards of the Detroit Pistons legend, who also has five All-NBA selections, two NBA titles, and a Finals MVP on his resume.

Thomas recognized Ball as a “difference maker” but admitted that the 24-year-old has a major decision to make: “Do I want to win, or do I want to be liked?”

To date, Ball has not even tasted playoff action as the Hornets have mostly remained at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings since he arrived in Charlotte. Rumors about Ball being shipped to other teams have been circulating for quite some time, but wherever he lands, a change in mindset could be the key to unlocking the next step in his evolution as an NBA competitor.