No trace of a social media caldron was bubbling when Kevin Martin reached the N.B.A. in 2004. He arrived from tiny Western Carolina, far from the glamour of U.C.L.A., and went on to play 12 mostly noise-free seasons at the highest level without his father unleashing even one inflammatory quote.

Yet you could argue that the recently retired Martin, for all the differences between their backgrounds, can identify with the incessantly scrutinized Los Angeles Lakers phenom Lonzo Ball as much as any player, current or former.

Don’t get hung up on the fact that Martin was the 26th overall pick in his N.B.A. draft, compared to Ball at a heady No. 2. Or that Martin was known for finishing plays from the wing as opposed to Ball’s being asked to run a team from the point as a 20-year-old.

You will see it instantly if you watch old clips of Martin’s, shall we say, distinctive shooting stroke, which has a renewed relevance amid the ceaseless conversation about the way Ball — the prized rookie point guard for the Lakers who is forever hyped for greatness by his father, LaVar — slings the ball at the basket with a release point to the left of his left eye.