On Thursday, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers hosted rookie Lonzo Ball and the Los Angeles Lakers in a highly-anticipated matchup.After all, it was the first time that Ball, the No. 2 pick in the 2017 Draft and outspoken fan of James, matched up with his idol.The Cavs ended up winning 121-112 (their 16th victory in 17 games) with the help of LeBron, who had a triple-double with 25 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists over 39 dominant minutes.On the other end, Ball also had a very solid game, dropping 13 points along with eight boards and 11 assists over 38 minutes.Although there were many highlights produced during the game, the one that was replayed over and over actually happened after the final whistle. The pair met at the center of the court to seemingly congratulate each other and then LeBron covered his mouth with his jersey to deliver a secret message to the youngster.
When asked about what he told Ball, James told reporters, "None of y'all business." Ball also kept quiet, telling reporters that King James "didn't tell me anything."
The moment went viral on social media and LeBron's words became a mystery.
But, on Friday, a user on Reddit.com posted a transcript of the conversation after somehow getting the audio of it. ESPN then confirmed the transcript with their sources.
"Find your zone and just stay f-----g locked in," James said with the jersey over his mouth. "The media is going to ask you what I told you right now. Tell them nothing. Just be aggressive every single day. It's white noise to you. That's all it is. All right? Let's go."
Ball has been under relentless pressure by the media, most of the time stemming from absurd comments made by his father LaVar, who always seems to find a camera to get in front of. LeBron's message was simple: just stick to basketball.
Although he kept quiet about what 'Bron told him, Ball explained how cool it was to match up against him.
"Watching him doesn't do him justice," Ball told reporters after the game. "It's very hard to stop him with that size, that speed. That's why I say he's the best player in the world right now, and it's hard to deal with."
"I knew I was going to play him, I knew he was going to be on the schedule and I was looking forward to it for a long time," Ball admitted.
Although it might be difficult for Ball to drown out the press like LeBron advised, it is probably in his best interest, especially considering that he plays in a major media market in Los Angeles.