Lonzo Ball hasn't had the start to his NBA career at the Los Angeles Lakers that many people anticipated for him, but on Tuesday night against the New York Knicks, he showed flashes of what he could become.

The Lakers lost 113-109 after overtime last night against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, with Ball finishing the night after 40 minutes played with 17 points, eight rebounds, six assists, two steals, and one block, making three of his six 3-point attempts.

However, he now has a bigger challenge ahead of him, as the 20-year-old rookie will play against one of his idols on Thursday night, as the Lakers will travel to the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland to play against LeBron James and the Cavaliers.

Not only will Ball play his first game versus Cleveland, but it will also be the first time he’ll share the court with one of the best, if not the best player in the NBA today. With that in mind, you can understand why he might be looking forward to the occasion.

Speaking to Serena Winters of Lakers Nation, the point guard said in reaction to playing against James that while he understands that the Cavaliers star could score 50 points against them, he also realizes that he wants his teammates more involved during games.

Ball said: “In my opinion, he is the best player in the world. I feel like he plays the game the right way. He could easily go out & try to go for 50 every night, but he’s more focused on his team."

Both teams are on different season paths, with the Lakers currently sitting in 11th position in the Western Conference on a 10-16 record, while the Cavaliers are currently sitting in 2nd position in the Eastern Conference on a 20-8 record. It should be a win for Cleveland on Thursday night.

However, it's still going to be a very interesting game to watch, as both teams have different styles of play, as Los Angeles prefers to drive forward with their youth, while Cleveland sits and waits for the best opportunity to present itself on the court.

Lakers vs Cavaliers is going to be a good game, and hopefully, it will be the first of many games between Ball and James.