EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Lonzo Ball has made it clear he’s thrilled to be playing with LeBron James and has long admired King James. But the Los Angeles Lakers point guard said he wasn’t nervous when they first took the court together.



“Nah, I’m never nervous to play with nobody,’’ Ball told reporters Thursday. “He’s just another person at the end of the day. He not God.’’



But Ball, who went full speed at practice Thursday for the first time since having offseason knee surgery, said James makes his presence felt on the court.



“I’ve been watching him my whole life,’’ Ball said. “But playing with him, he’s very vocal. You know, his voice is very demanding.’’



They played on opposite teams Thursday, and Ball said he offered some defensive help against James.



“It was a tough job,’’ he said with a grin.

More:LeBron James spars with Los Angeles Lakers media

For precautionary reasons, Ball is not expected to play Sunday against the Denver Nuggets in San Diego in the Lakers’ preseason opener. But on Thursday, Ball said he was able to practice at full speed without pain for the first time in about five months.



“Definitely still a little rusty, though,’’ he said. “Threw a couple of passes too high. ...



“It was good today. I got through the whole practice. I did everything today.’’

Follow Peter on Twitter @joshlpeter11