Lonzo played at Chino Hills High School in California. He burst onto the national scene during his junior year when he averaged 25 points, 11 rebounds, 9.1 assists, and 5 blocks. In his senior year, his team had a perfect 35–0 record and won a state title.

The team was ranked the No. 1 team in the nation and Ball was named the Naismith Prep Player of the Year.

Ball was a five-star recruit, ranked as the fourth-best high school prospect in the nation. He committed to play college basketball for the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

In his one season with UCLA, Ball broke numerous records and led the team to a very successful season. He was on the preseason and midseason watchlists for the Wooden Award, and in his first NCAA game, he posted a 19-point, 11-assist triple-double. UCLA blew out the Washington Huskies in a matchup between Ball and Marielle Fultz, who were seen as the top two draft prospects of the year. The team made it to the Sweet Sixteen, where they lost to the University of Kentucky Wildcats.

Ball was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and made the All-Conference First Team.

Ball was drafted amid much fanfare by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 2nd overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft. Lakers’ president of basketball operations, Magic Johnson, declared Ball to be the future face of the Lakers franchise. As a rookie, Ball played in 52 games, starting 50. In only his second game, he scored his career-high with 29 points. In November of his rookie year, he became the youngest player to record a triple-double. Despite these successes, the young Laker team struggled and he missed 30 games due to injuries.

Ball’s second season also brought some highlights and some areas for concern. His playmaking continued to develop, but there were lingering concerns about his inconsistent 3-point shooting and his injury history. He only played 47 games in his second season. His three-point shooting rose slightly to 33%, but his assists numbers went down, largely due to sharing playmaking duties with LeBron James who had just signed with the Lakers. 

In the 2019 offseason, Ball and several other young Laker players were traded to the New Orleans Pelicans for Anthony Davis. In the coronavirus-shortened season, his game developed as he averaged 12.4 points per game and a career-best 38% from three, as well as strong defense on the perimeter.