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Ball has turned out to be a polarizing player on the Lakers list since being named in 2017.
He was impressed in his rookie season with his playmaking skills, but his unique shooting style has often attracted the most attention.
His start to the season was hampered by the fact that he was practically catching up with his teammates, having missed the pre-season due to a knee surgery suffered during the summer.
But with the arrival of Rajon Rondo, Ball received more minutes and played a vital role in the recent success of the Lakers.
He scored 15 points on seven out of 11 shots in the Cleveland Cavaliers win and finished with 10 rebounds in his last two games against Utah Jazz and Orlando Magic.
His teammates and coaches have called him to be more aggressive in attack.
James said last week that Ball "does not realize how great he is" and congratulated the 21-year-old for his approach to the match.
And Ball admits he was taken aback by hearing such praise from his childhood hero, before insisting that he be willing to live up to that expectation.
"It stimulates me a lot," Ball said in the Lakers Talk podcast.
"LeBron has been my model all my life.
"To hear a guy like him talking so much about me means a lot to me.
"I do not want to let anyone down and I do not want to let myself down.
"I know what I can do on the basketball court, I've played it all my life.
"I just want to be great. They push me pretty much every day.
The Lakers return to the game tonight after a tough game against Denve Nuggets, far from home.
They faced off earlier this season in Los Angeles, with the Lakers in the lead, but the Nuggets won eight of 11 home games.
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