Well before Lonzo Ball was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers, his father LaVar Ball had already become a fixture in the media. LaVar would constantly pump up his son’s talent and predict that he would get drafted by the Lakers and lead them back to a championship.
His loud, brash attitude has made LaVar one of the more polarizing people in the media spotlight. Many would prefer that he take a backseat and allow Lonzo and his other sons to be able to grow without so much more pressure on them.
Others, like Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant, actually enjoy some of his antics and don’t see anything wrong. The exception to that, at least as far as Durant is concerned, is LaVar’s criticism of Lakers head coach Luke Walton.
During an appearance on the Bill Simmons Podcast, Durant implored LaVar to stop criticizing Walton:
“Yeah I don’t like when he’s talking about coaches like that. Don’t talk about the coach.”
Durant likened LaVar to a typical AAU parent, saying people like him are everywhere across the country. Durant also doesn’t believe that LaVar’s presence would prevent free agents from signing with the Lakers.
LaVar has had plenty to say about Walton this season. First he said the second-year coach didn’t know how to handle Lonzo, and later claiming that Walton had lost control of the entire Lakers locker room. The team responded by winning eight of their next 10 games and have been above .500 since LaVar spoke those words.
The Lakers were reportedly unhappy with LaVar’s words, especially after they had previously asked him not to criticize Walton, and for the most part, LaVar has been pretty quiet ever since.
Durant and others may not see much wrong with LaVar’s antics for the most part, but most would agree that talking bad about a coach is definitely across the line.
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