Lonzo Ball's father says Lonzo will only play for Los Angeles Lakers (report)

http://www.masslive.com/celtics/index.ssf/2017/02/lonzo_balls_father_says_lonzo.html



Lonzo Ball's father says Lonzo will only play for Los Angeles Lakers (report)


Posted on February 25, 2017 at 8:59 PM




UCLA guard Lonzo Ball (2) looks to pass against Arizona State during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)



By Tom Westerholm



The Boston Celtics will take a long look at UCLA star point guard Lonzo Ball in the draft, but one of the factors they may have to consider: Ball's father LaVar, who -- according to an Arizona sports radio host -- said on-air tonight that his son will only play for one team.

And Celtics fans aren't going to like that team very much.

Michael Luke @ironmikeluke
Lavar Ball: "My son will only play for the Lakers."
10:03 PM - 25 Feb 2017
 353 353 Retweets  


Then an interesting, if somewhat cryptic, follow up:

Michael Luke @ironmikeluke
I will say this: right or wrong, LaVar Ball knows exactly what he's doing and isn't shooting from the hip.
12:46 AM - 26 Feb 2017
 4 4 Retweets   7 7 likes


This is a fascinating tidbit for someone to drop about their son long before the NBA draft lottery, in which the Lakers might not even get to keep their pick. Los Angeles currently has the third-worst record in the NBA, and if they end up outside of the top three, their selection will convey to the Philadelphia 76ers.

A lot can change between now and the draft, of course, and teams will need to weigh how they feel about LaVar's influence on Lonzo before they make a selection. But for most teams, drafting the best player available probably shouldn't be much of a question, even if the players' dad says he wants his son to go to a different team.

After all, if Lonzo becomes a star, the team that drafts him will have three major advantages over other suitors in free agency. First, they control his destiny for four years. "My son will only play for the Lakers" is a pretty empty threat, unless your son will literally refuse to play for any other team that selects him in the lottery. Second, the team that drafts Ball will be able to offer him a max extension after his rookie contract worth a lot of money (an extension, incidentally, that the players' agent will strongly encourage him to sign). And finally, under the new CBA, they will eventually be able to offer him an incredibly lucrative designated player max deal that other teams (like, just for example, the Lakers) wouldn't be allowed to match.

So yes, LaVar's comments will make some waves around the draft. But if a team is sold on Lonzo Ball (and there's so much to love about his game), strange comments like these probably shouldn't act as a full deterrent from taking him.



bob
MY NOTE: Yet one more reason to hate the draft. NBA players can be pretty arrogant, but they've laced up NBA sneakers and can back their attitude up. These kids think because they are demi-God's vs lesser competition they can control their destiny.


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The Lakers are already working on tanking as they sent one of their leading scorers out the other day, but they have no way to be guaranteed a spot in which to draft Ball (and, that is if they even want him).

They may even find themselves out of the top three if they even win a couple of more games as Sacramento
will be pushing hard to get the second worst record now that they no longer have Cousins.

The "tanking" concept needs to be eliminated in the NBA because although it has happened in the past there are now five teams likely heading down this road as the last 25 games of the season are to be played. It is hard to imagine just how bad any games between these teams will be to watch.

wideclyde wrote:The Lakers are already working on tanking as they sent one of their leading scorers out the other day, but they have no way to be guaranteed a spot in which to draft Ball (and, that is if they even want him).

They may even find themselves out of the top three if they even win a couple of more games as Sacramento
will be pushing hard to get the second worst record now that they no longer have Cousins.

The "tanking" concept needs to be eliminated in the NBA because although it has happened in the past there are now five teams likely heading down this road as the last 25 games of the season are to be played.  It is hard to imagine just how bad any games between these teams will be to watch.

Some teams rebuild every year.
The Lakers will give a lot of playing time to their young players over the next 23 games.
If they lose a lot, so be it.
Keeping 31-year-old Lou Williams wouldn't have done anything to help them with their long-term plans.
I haven't heard of any good plan to stop teams from tanking.

This whole thing about Lonzo Ball's father is ridiculous.
He should do his son a favor and close his mouth. All he's doing is putting unnecessary pressure on his son.

Tanking - In the business world its akin to "downsizing" - a legitimate business practice.

swish

Pretty simple take on this story...

You can't control who your parents are.

In Ball's case, unfortunately, this is probably not the first time his father has embarrassed him.

This comment, by the father, not the player, has nothing to do with anything and will not affect where Lonzo is drafted.

His dad's comments are shamefully over the top.

dboss

http://www.masslive.com/celtics/index.ssf/2017/02/lonzo_balls_father_clarifies_h.html#incart_river_index



Lonzo Ball's father clarifies: He wants Lonzo to play for Los Angeles Lakers, Magic Johnson



Posted on February 26, 2017 at 11:15 AM




UCLA guard Lonzo Ball (2) and guard Bryce Alford talk during a free throw during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Arizona State, Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)



By Tom Westerholm



Lonzo Ball's father caused waves on Saturday evening by reportedly telling an Arizona radio station that his son would only play for the Los Angeles Lakers.


UCLA star Lonzo Ball's dad told a radio station that his son would only play for the Los Angeles Lakers.

LaVar Ball later clarified those statements to ESPN.

All I said was that my boy is going to play for the Lakers, and I'm going to speak it into existence. I want him to be a Laker, but I wasn't saying he's only going to play for the Lakers. ... I'm not trying to say he won't play for a different team. But I'd like him to play for the Lakers because it's home, and I'd love him to learn from Magic [Johnson]. He's the best guard ever to me, and nobody better for Lonzo to learn from than Magic Johnson.

That is notably different than "Lonzo will only play for the Lakers," but it still isn't a great look for a couple of reasons. First, as we noted yesterday, LaVar can't really control the draft process (despite his best efforts). If a team before the Lakers drafts Lonzo, they control his draft rights as well as the amount of money they can offer on his first two max contracts.

Second, it's worth point out (as draft expert Sam Vecenie did on Twitter) that Lonzo is his own person -- a very different person from his father.

21h
Sam Vecenie @Sam_Vecenie
Again, I will say this: Lonzo Ball is quiet, humble, smart. All of the bullshit cliches people say about “winners” actually apply to Lonzo.
Follow


Sam Vecenie @Sam_Vecenie
In terms of personality, he’s nothing like LaVar. Basically, Lonzo is just like “I just want to play basketball and win.”
4:27 PM - 25 Feb 2017
 35 35 Retweets   45 45 likes


This is a pretty accurate description of Lonzo, and one that was born out in his post-game comments about his father's statement.

Follow
Ben Bolch ✔ @latbbolch
Lonzo Ball, asked about his father's comment he would only play for the Lakers: "All I do is go out and play basketball, man."
7:59 PM - 25 Feb 2017
 198 198 Retweets   363 363 likes


The worst thing for Ball's draft stock might be giving too much credence to his father's pre-draft statements, but it's worth remembering that Ball will be an adult man when he enters the league, and LaVar's desires won't determine Lonzo's future. If a team that isn't the Lakers loves Lonzo's talent, they should take him.


bob
MY NOTE: And I'm sure IT's dad would have loved for him to play for the Lakers too. STFU, dad.


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