By Keith D. King
Recently, ESPN released an article asking if Lamelo Ball, youngest of Lavar Ball’s three sons, was the most hated basketball player ever. Without him ever saying a word.
Lavar Ball began turning heads last year when his oldest son Lonzo joined the UCLA Basketball team and instantly turned the program around with his flashy passes, leadership, and court savvy. Though Lonzo’s play on the court caught the Nation’s attention, his father’s words began to send the sports world in a frenzy.
First, there was his proclamation that his son was already a better player than Golden State Warriors 2-time MVP Stephon Curry. Then in an interview on national television, he told the world that he could beat Michael Jordan in a one on one game. Soon after, he and his son announced that instead of signing a shoe endorsement deal with any of the major shoe companies, they would be starting their own company called the Big Baller Brand. Then there was a couple of verbal jabs between Lavar and LeBron James, and Joel Embiid.
“He is the worst thing to happen to basketball in the last hundred years,” Said Nike Executive, George Raveling.
A few months ago, Lavar appeared on an episode of Fox sports ‘The Herd’ With Colin Cowherd and his co-host Kristine Leahy. Prior to Lavar’s appearance, Leahy had made remarks insinuating that Lavar was abusive to his kids and that they were scared of him.
“And whenever you asked him [Lonzo] a question, he said, what, five words?” Leahy said. “And he looks terrified whenever he’s talking. I asked ‘have you ever had a disagreement with your father?’ and he said ‘no.’ And everyone at this table that you know, at one point, you disagree with your parent, unless you are afraid to disagree with your parent … He looks like he’s terrified to go against anything his father said.” Leahy said
Amidst of all of this, Lonzo Ball was drafted second overall by the Los Angeles Lakers and won the Summer League MVP. However, he has already earned a spot as one of the players who will have a bullseye on his chest once the season starts because of his fathers ‘antics’. But we have to ask ourselves a question. Are we missing the bigger picture?
Lavar Ball is a 48-year old African American man from South Central Los Angeles who went to college, has been with his wife for over 20 years, owns a home in Chino Hills, and more importantly has played a dominant role in all three of his son’s lives.
One son is now the starting point guard on one of the biggest franchises in the NBA after winning National Freshman of the Year, the other son is a freshman guard at UCLA, and will probably be on a NBA roster in the next season or two, and his youngest son is the 7th ranked player in the Nation and he is only in the 10th grade. All of this while starting a family owned business that is giving his boys ownership in their own brand.
The Ball family has been mentioned on pretty much every major sports network there is, and 90% of has been pushed by a negative narrative about the family. Why? Because there father is openly telling the world how great he thinks his kids are? Is it the fact that he is telling major companies that in order to get to his kids they will have to respect his position and go through him?
“Look, the Kardashians, we didn’t say that the mom was bad, and she made them a lot of money, right? She’s bragged on her daughters, and I think it’s the same here. He’s just saying, ‘Hey, my son is great,’ and there’s nothing bad with that.” Lakers Vice President told ESPN Radio.
Since coming on to the scene, the Ball brothers haven’t been in any legal trouble, no scandals, no trash talking, just doing their talking on the court with the support and marketing from their father. Somehow they’ve become one of the most hated families in sports.
Richard Williams, father of Venus and Serena Williams and Cam Newton Sr. Father of Cam Newton (just to name a couple) were vilified in similar fashion when their children came on the national scene. It seems that society tries to push the narrative of absent black fathers, but what we we’re seeing here is the product of what a present and active father can produce, and now it’s too much to bare? Keep doing what you are doing Lavar, and I hope that while the media tries to discredit you, your sons will keep rubbing it in their faces on the court by succeeding in front of the world.
