UCLA Basketball: Lavar Ball creating major distractions for son Lonzo?

What LaVar Ball is doing is smart but will this affect Lonzo’s play in the Big Dance and his draft stock moving forward?

In the last few months, the Ball family has made major national headlines. Lonzo Ball has changed the complexion of UCLA’s program from a team that couldn’t even make the NIT in 2015-16 to a unit that is ready to potentially win a National Championship in 2017.

LiAngelo, a UCLA commit in 2017, didn’t make the McDonald’s All-American team and seems motivated by that “snub.” LaMelo, the youngest of the trio, dropped 92 points in a single high school game and failed to lead Chino Hills past the high school semifinals.

Then there’s the dad – LaVar Ball.

LaVar has made numerous absurd statements, mentioning that he could beat Michael Jordan in a one-on-one, that his son, Lonzo, could do exactly what Stephen Curry is doing with the Warriors and that his son is better than Markelle Fultz and will be better than Russell Westbrook, LeBron James and potentially Michael Jordan.

He criticized NBA stars and their sons, is involved in an ongoing feud with TNT personality Charles Barkley, said Lonzo would only play for the Los Angeles Lakers (before recanting his statement) and ripped Chino Hills High School’s head coach after they lost in the playoffs last week.

While these are just some of LaVar’s ridiculous comments, let’s be honest: he knows exactly what he’s doing. See, the Ball family has their own brand called the Big Baller Brand (BBB) — they are selling $60 shirts, $60 sweatshirts, and $50 hats online.

Does LaVar truly believe that Lonzo is better than Curry, Westbrook, James and Jordan? Does he really think that he can beat Jordan in a 1-on-1 after he averaged 2.2 points per game in college back in the 80s? Who knows, but what I do know is that these statements are keeping LaVar and his family in the news 24/7.

It’s generating attention, which in turn means more money and more publicity for the Big Baller Brand. Sure, people are getting sick of LaVar and that in turn is making many people hate the Bruins, but there is no denying that he is entertaining and engaging (that’s one of the main reasons he’s taking a media tour).

While the BBB is succeeding, the biggest question is in regards to Lonzo Ball. Is LaVar hurting his son in the present? Are NBA teams going to shy away from Lonzo because of his father’s outspoken nature?

There’s no denying Lonzo’s talent. He’s not only arguably the best freshman in college basketball but he might be the single most impactful player in the nation based on his vision, shooting ability, length, solid athleticism and of course, his unselfish nature and passing skills.

The 6’6″ point guard is projected to be a top-five pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by numerous NBA mock drafts and very well could lead the Bruins to their first National Title since 1995.

Ball is the real deal and I personally believe his game translates perfectly to the NBA level due to his physical tools (size and length). However, what’s most impressive about Ball is his mentality.

He’s all about business.

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Different players handle different situations in different ways but the distractions LaVar has given his son on a daily basis hasn’t phased him one bit. Instead, Lonzo continues to thrive. He’s averaging 14.7 points, 7.6 assists, 6.1 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game this season while shooting 56 percent from the floor and 42 percent from beyond the arc.

In two NCAA Tournament games, Ball is averaging 16.5 points, six assists, and 5.5 rebounds. He hurt his hip versus Kent State at the end of the first half but still played through it. He struggled in the first half against Cincinnati’s slow pace and strong defense but flipped the switch in the second half and dominated the game at both ends of the floor.

And after the game, it was business as usual.

While other teams were celebrating their appearances in the Sweet 16 throughout the weekend, Ball calmly spoke in a postgame interview with CBS, showing he has the perfect mentality to deal with his father’s distractions.

As far as the NBA Draft is concerned, do you think LaVar is the only father or family member that causes distractions? Yes, LaVar is now a national name but he’s surely not going to have the upper hand on general managers, executives, coaches, and others at the NBA level. And Lavar knows that because he’s smart. He’s promoting his brand. He’s promoting his children. And he’s promoting himself.

Isn’t that the best way to create business?

Isn’t that the best way to create hype?

Next: Ranking the remaining 16 teams in the NCAA Tournament

So, yes I am sick of Lavar Ball. Yes, I would prefer that he would stop hyping up his son (just in case he is a bust at the next level). But there is nothing wrong with taking advantage of your moment and capitalizing on national attention, especially when Lonzo has the personality to thrive successfully no matter what happens around him.

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UCLA Basketball: LaVar Ball creating major distractions for son Lonzo?

By Carmine Carcieri | Mar 23, 2017

What LaVar Ball is doing is smart but will this affect Lonzo’s play in the Big Dance and his draft stock moving forward?

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