LaVar Ball, father of Los Angeles Lakers rookie guard Lonzo Ball, is known for saying outrageous things. In the past, he earned the ire of the likes of Charles Barkley and LeBron James for his outspoken demeanor, especially when it comes to his son Lonzo. Even before the Lakers drafted Ball with the No. 2 overall pick, LaVar touted that his son was better than Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
Earlier, Ball also claimed that Lonzo will carry the Lakers to the playoffs and he will bag the Rookie of the Year trophy. However, LaVar’s predictions did not materialize as the Lakers finished the season with a 35-47 record, missing the playoffs for the fifth straight time.
Lonzo, for his part, did not make his mark as promised by LaVar, as he was completely outperformed by Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers, Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics, Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz, and even his own teammate, Kyle Kuzma. In his rookie year, Lonzo averaged 10.2 points, 7.2 assists, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game.
Lakers could pursue Leonard
With the offseason approaching, the Lakers are hoping to land some big-name players from the free agent pool, like LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Paul George of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Also, the name of San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard emerged as a possible target via trade. Reports have it that Leonard wants out of San Antonio and is eyeing a Los Angeles team as the next stop in his career, probably the Lakers or the Clippers.
The Lakers could use a player like Leonard, who was a finalist for the MVP trophy last season, but was limited to nine games this season due to a nagging quad problem.
LaVar could derail the Lakers’ chances of getting Kawhi
However, LaVar’s big mouth could derail the Lakers’ chances of getting Leonard, per Complex.com. In an interview on ESPN Radio with Marcellus Riley and Travis Rodgers, LaVar said his son is better than Leonard.
“Hell no,” Lavar replied, when asked if Leonard was better than Lonzo. Lavar said Lonzo made everyone on the team better, while he called Kawhi a specialty guy that won’t make everyone better. “You put Kawhi on there, he won't make everyone better. He's gonna do his thing. He's a specialty guy,” said LaVar. The elder Ball boasted that Lonzo is the people’s choice, and should not be used as trade bait by the Lakers in the offseason. LaVar also said that he is confident that James will sign with the Lakers and play alongside his son.
