Terrible Lavar Ball is Causing Me to Root Against His Kids
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Artist diepiction of Ty when he hears Lavar Ball talk about anything
Try as I might, I just cannot escape the madness that is Lavar Ball. I've written before about how he is the worst type of sports parent. But, after writing that, I was kind of able to avoid him. I'd see something that would have his name in the story, and I'd just click right by it. No fuss, no muss.
Then, a story about Lonzo Ball came out that he was going to skip the NBA combine. Now, I am not a fan of combine results and how it inflates a major prospect, but, it is a given that the big time prospects always attend. It happens in football, if baseball has one, I'm sure the top prospects show up to it, and you always have, unless they are injured, the main guys at the NBA combine. I'm pretty sure guys like Markelle Fultz, Josh Jackson, Johnathan Issac, basically any top prospect, is attending. But, for some illogical reason, Lonzo Ball doesn't think that he needs to go. He is just assuming that he will be a top pick, which I'm sure he still will be.
Aside from the skipping the combine, he has done some other stuff that I feel like his father is making him do. Immediately, and I mean immediately after UCLA got beat in the tournament, Ball's first comment was that he was going pro. He didn't seem to care at all that is team just got beat and that he was wildly outplayed by DeArron Fox. Then, he was showing up on crappy midday ESPN shows with his father to "expand his brand". Then, he declared that he only wanted to play for the Lakers. No other team that takes him would make him happy. He basically declared that he would only play for the Lakers. Like I said, all this seems like it was orchestrated by his father. So, while I was easily bypassing stories directly about Lavar Ball, I could not escape his son, and his son's comment.
Then, the thing that has really riled me up as of late, was Lavar Ball's recent comments that his son, Lonzo's, first signature shoe will be 200 dollars a pair. WHAT THE HELL IS THAT NONSENSE! No one's shoes cost 200 dollars a pair. The new LeBron's seem to average around 125-180 dollars a pair. KD's shoes are never more than 150 dollars. Kyrie Irving's shoes are usually 125 dollars. Even Air Jordan's, unless they are classic throwback shoes in mint condition, average around 160-175 dollars. These are all extremely established NBA super stars, with Jordan being the GOAT, and none of them charge 200 dollars per pair of shoes. That is asinine that Lavar Ball thinks anyone would ever pay 200 dollars for one pair of shoes. Also, who does he think is going to produce and market these shoes? He was laughed out of the Nike offices, with one of their major guys saying that he "the worst person I have ever had to deal with". Both Under Armor and Adidas have also said that they want nothing to do with the Ball family, specifically Lavar Ball. So, I ask again, who is going to sell, market, produce, create and get these 200 dollar shoes out to the public? Does he honestly think that his Big Baller Brand is going to become a thing that people will want to be a part of?
If I was a business owner of any kind I would stay away from him and his family with a 1,000 foot pole. I would want absolutely nothing to do with the Ball family, and it is all because of the father. He is a blowhard and I think he is insane. The words that come out of his mouth are just utterly ridiculous and pointless and flat out stupid. I usually like to give a player a chance. I want to watch them as pros, but I am now in the very large group of people that are actively rooting against anyone from the Ball family. I want Lonzo Ball to be a bust, and it has nothing to do with him, it is because of his father. I hope his 2 other sons never materialize to anything more than rotational college players. Lonzo Ball will be a high draft pick, he is a good player, but no one knows about his other 2 kids. I mean one of them is a sophomore, so who knows what will happen to him in 2 years. He may end up hating basketball.
I try not to actively root against kids, I'm a 34 year old with 2 kids of my own, but Lavar Ball has made the worst come out in me. He has made me an avid member of the anti Ball fan club. I want these kids to flame out as college players, and in Lonzo's case, as a pro. Lavar Ball is out of his god damn mind, and those 2 to 3 weeks where I did not even think about him were glorious. But, I just could not get the bad taste out of my mouth of this most recent outrageous declaration. No one, and I mean absolutely no one in their right minds will pay 200 dollars for shoes. That's just absurd. Please stop talking Lavar Ball. Every time you open your mouth, you say something more ridiculous, and it makes you sound and look that much more stupid. Just please, for the love of whatever, stop.
Ty
Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. His five year old son is pretty good at basketball right now. Any company interested in producing his $500 shoes?
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