People often form their impression of LaMelo Ball from their brief answers in interviews and press conferences. His flashy playing style and short answers have led some to view him as aloof or unreliable. But the impression among people who have spent time around him in Minnesota has been markedly different.
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Minnesota Timberwolves insider Jon Krawczynski described a player whose warmth and consideration rarely come through in those brief exchanges.
Jon Krawczynski discussed the contrast during an interview with LitHoUsE, sharing what he learned after sitting down with Ball for ten minutes. “I sat down with him for ten minutes today for a story that’ll be out next week, and we chopped it up and, like, really had a real conversation. And you can tell that he is not a flake at all. Like, there’s real substance to him. There’s soul to him,” Krawczynski said.
“There’s a care factor about him that I think is hidden by the optics of just who he is, or how he presents himself.”
Krawczynski said LaMelo Ball’s guarded media persona can lead people to mistake short answers for a lack of intelligence or interest.
“I think people look at that and say, ‘Ah, maybe he’s not that smart, or maybe he’s not interested in engaging.’” However, his own conversation with the guard gave him a different impression.
Ball was approachable, engaged, and willing to have a proper discussion, rather than simply giving the brief responses that have become familiar during his public appearances.
One detail particularly stood out to Krawczynski: LaMelo Ball knows the names of people throughout the organization.
“One thing that everyone says is he knows everyone’s name in the building. I’m talking, everyone, from the janitor to the workout guy to the head of basketball operations. And he says hello to everyone, and he says, Hey, Derek. How’s it going? Like, and when you have that, like that tells you that there’s some, you know, real EQ inside of him.”
Krawczynski highlighted that Ball made it a point of acknowledging everyone rather than reserving his attention for people with prominent roles. “It doesn’t matter if you make millions of dollars in that building or if you’re making minimum wage. He’s rocking with you either way,” he added.
“This is a person that wants to connect, and he has been anything but flaky, anything but aloof. He has been really approachable, really nice, and you can see in his eyes, like, there’s some good person in there that just wanted to play basketball and connect with people.”
This side of LaMelo Ball has also caught the attention of his new teammates. Jonathan Kuminga offered a similar assessment when discussing the point guard’s personality. “He’s fun to be around,” Kuminga said. “He’s happy all the time. I haven’t seen him mad yet. He’s very energized. He means well.”
The descriptions fit what Krawczynski observed during the Timberwolves’ early-season routine. He noted that Ball’s enthusiasm has helped change the feel around the team.
Anthony Edwards brings a different personality to the partnership. Edwards is more expressive in public. Meanwhile, LaMelo Ball can be quieter and harder to read. Yet both guards have shown an interest in building relationships early. This included helping fund the team’s offseason gathering in Paris.
The gathering gave the roster time together before training camp and the demands of a long season arrived.
For the Timberwolves, the early signs suggest that LaMelo Ball brings more than playmaking and scoring. He also appears eager to connect with those around him, seek advice, and make the daily environment enjoyable.
That may not change every perception overnight. But it gives Minnesota a more complete picture of the player it brought in.