During the latest episode of FS1's Undisputed, LaVar Ball appeared on the show and had even more hot takes on various NBA topics.
The 48-year-old once again caught the attention of a lot of people when he claimed that his son, Lonzo, doesn't need to be in the NBA yet to make his first signature shoe symbolic. He said the shoe already is, especially after the younger Ball filled arenas wherever the UCLA Bruins played with him in their lineup.
"Look what Lonzo did for UCLA. He sold that place out and it hasn't been sold out in 10 years." — @Lavarbigballer pic.twitter.com/0vbkIT3eGe
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) May 8, 2017
His strong words are thought by some to be subtle shots at Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love. The two aforementioned stars were part of the Bruins squad, both entering the NBA in 2008 with the fourth and fifth picks of the draft, respectively. With Ball saying that only his son was able to sell out UCLA crowds in the past 10 years, indirectly he says that the two current NBA All-Stars were not able to do the same during their college careers.
As it turns out, the Oklahoma City Thunder point guard is now one of the best players in the league, and is a favorite to win the MVP award this season. His historic year may have ended abruptly following his team's first-round playoff exit against the Houston Rockets, but he was still able to become the first player in 55 years to average double digits in points, rebounds, and assists throughout the regular season. He also broke the record for most triple-doubles in a year, eclipsing Oscar Robertson‘s 42 triple-doubles in the 1961-1962 campaign.
Love on the other hand has been instrumental to the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ recent run of success, including their title win last year. He has been named an All-Star four times in his career and was also the league's Most Improved Player back in 2011.
With Lonzo expected to the a top-three pick, he will need to play at a very high level to live up to the hype placed on his shoulders by his father. In comparison to even Westbrook and Love, Lonzo Ball was unable to lead the Bruins to similar success in college — Lonzo's squad was eliminated in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament this year, while Westbrook and Love made a Final Four appearance nine years ago.
For now, LaVar can only hope Lonzo plays as advertised, as not only is his son's future on the line, but also his and his family's credibility. It also does not help that the sales of the ZO2s from their own Big Baller Brand — which have been incredibly low so far — also rely greatly on Lonzo's success in the NBA.
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