The long journey and constant battles are all vindicated when an NBA prospect hears their name called on draft night, as was the case with Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonzo Ball. The Ball family has not backed down from the limelight since he burst onto the scene, with father LaVar Ball constantly boasting his son’s talents, along with making outlandish claims.
LaVar has shown at times to be just a regular father, training his son and encouraging Lonzo to become the best player that he can be. However, other instances have also tarnished the public perception of LaVar and his credibility to a certain extent.
Many NBA players have already let their feelings be known about the Ball family, with many not being fans of LaVar’s actions. The latest to express his feeling was recently signed veteran Tim Hardaway Jr. The New York Knicks signee stated that he spoke to Lonzo about LaVar in an interview with Corey Sipkin of the New York Post, and gave the Lakers rookie some advice on dealing with his father:
I heard ’Zo give me an answer, and he said that that’s his father, and you can’t change the man, that’s how he’s always been, that confident. I mean, if I was Lonzo and I had to tell my father one thing … “Be yourself, but pick and choose wisely when you can rave and when you can’t.” You’ve got the utmost confidence in your son, but at the same time … putting a target on his back. But, that’s his father, he has the utmost confidence in ’Zo, and if ’Zo feeds off of that, and plays better when that happens, then so be it. But if that was my dad, I’d tell him to pipe down a little bit: “Don’t change who you are, but you could settle down.”
Hardaway Jr. is correct in stating the pressure Lonzo faces with filling the expectations that LaVar has been making. The shootingguard understands the concept of being shadowed by your father, as he grew up watching his father, Tim Hardaway Sr., dazzle on the NBA stage for 13 seasons.
As a four-year veteran in the NBA, Hardaway Jr. understands the competitive nature that comes with these peak athletes, as well as the trash talking and physical style of play. LaVar Ball could make Lonzo’s life a lot easier by just letting his game do the talking, as his son has done with his two Summer League triple-doubles.
LaVar stated in early July that he would back off his son Lonzo, since he is now in hands of the greatest point guard of all time.