4 player comparisons for Hornets' LaMelo Ball from NBA history

Livingston delivered the kind of flash and excitement with the ball in his hands that LaMelo does nowadays, although Livingston played with more pace and was a far inferior shooter to Melo.

Jason Williams (Kings era)

Nicknamed "White Chocolate", Williams was just 6-foot-1 and therefore lacked LaMelo's size, but there are a ton of other similarities, including flashy ball handling, good touch from three, and endless swagger.

Williams was far more of a winning player than people give him credit for, probably due to his showmanship. He could defend decently (for his size) when motivated, and he really knew how to run an offense.

Those Kings teams at the turn of the millennium featuring Williams and Chris Webber weren't without playoff success, and J-Will ended up winning an NBA title in 2006 with the Miami Heat.

Williams' Heat era would actually be good footage for LaMelo to watch as he learns how to make the simple play more often. Heat-era J-Will was way less flashy and -- though less exciting -- played a really mature and efficient brand of basketball.

"Pistol" Pete Maravich

Here's where the comparisons begin to get more aspirational for LaMelo. Maravich -- beyond being arguably the most skilled ball handler and passer ever -- put together a Hall of Fame NBA career that featured five All-Star appearances and a scoring title.

Most people forget that Maravich also had really good size for his position at 6-foot-5. A tall, lanky point guard who literally operated like a magician with the ball in his hands, Maravich combined effortless flash with fancy passing and elite shooting.

If LaMelo has anything close to the Pistol's resumé when he retires, he'll have had a massively successful career. Keep in mind that Maravich was also one of the greatest college basketball players ever, something Melo can't compete with, of course.

There's really no comparison between these guys in terms of legend status and accomplishments, but LaMelo is still young, and he should still shoot for the stars and believe that his ceiling remains far away.

Magic Johnson

Speaking of shooting for the stars, Los Angeles Lakers fans might scoff at Magic being on this list, but at the end of the day, he's the (purple and) gold standard for every tall point guard with an elite handle.

With 99 percent of basketball fans considering Magic to be the greatest point guard who ever lived, it goes without saying that LaMelo can never measure up to this standard, but no one can.

It's worth noting that Melo is a better outside shooter, but that was never Magic's game. Ultimately, Magic was the guy who combined showmanship with supreme winning, and that was the genius behind why he was so transcendent and incredible for the NBA's popularity.

For LaMelo, there's something to be learned about that duality. You can put on a show and still play winning basketball.

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