Lavar Ball, the father of Lonzo, LiAngelo and LaMelo Ball, has been a controversial topic in the sports world. Some label him as an overbearing parent who is ruining his sons' future basketball careers. Others say he is trying to relive his basketball career vicariously through his talented sons. Some even question his parenting skills at each turn. But, Lavar Ball is not the foolish, arrogant father that media outlets portray him as. In fact, Lavar Ball has taken smart actions in handling his sons' careers and is a Great Father.
Addressing the bad father narrative
Media outlets try to make Lavar Ball sound like a bad father. They say he's too involved in their lives and make too many decisions for them. Some say Lavar overestimates his sons' talents. However, parental involvement is something that should not be looked down upon. A lot of NBA athletes are minorities that grew up in single mother homes. Growing up without a father is proven to be detrimental to child development. Seeing a black father be involved in their sons' lives goes against the black stereotype and should be valued. I don't see anything wrong with a father believing their sons can achieve anything.
Addressing the bad businessman narrative
Lavar Ball has gotten a lot of criticism for his brand, Big Baller Brand.
He refused to sell the rights to his brand to shoe companies like Nike and Adidas. As a result, his brand remained independent. His debut sneakers retailed for $495, and his clothing line is relatively expensive. The initial reaction to these prices was overall negative. People did not believe the brand was worth the price.
Also, people thought that Lavar ruined potential shoe deals for his sons. Furthermore, his products would have been cheaper with funding from Nike or Adidas. But, I think he did not make a bad decision. Shoe companies wanted to own his brand and give him no say on future projects. His sons would be under contract and forced to do whatever the shoe companies wanted.
Lavar wanted his sons to have more freedom. He believed that corporations shouldn't have control over his self-named brand.
Why Lavar gets the hate he does
I think Lavar Ball gets more hate than he deserves. The reason why he gets an unnecessary amount of hate is due to his success. People don't turn down Nike deals and succeed as he does. There's never been a person like him in basketball before, so people do not know how to react. He's a black man who owns his business and in his sons' lives. As Lonzo's agent, Lavar was able to get the Los Angeles Lakers to draft Lonzo. His brand is growing, and he's created a following of big ballers. His portrayal by the mainstream media is not a true depiction of who he is.
