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LaVar Ball became a media sensation a few years ago when his son, Lonzo, started to make a name for himself by showing his potential as a point guard while playing college basketball with UCLA. He's indeed a proud father, who may have said some things that didn't rub a lot of people the right way.
But LaVar isn't afraid of criticisms. In fact, he actually doesn't care. He's going to say what's on his mind and no one has been able to reason out with him about his imposing character.
Over the last few years of LaVar's social media prominence, one of the things that he proudly said about himself is that he sees what will happen in the future, or that he believes he does. To some extent, that might be true. When he said that Lonzo will be drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers, it happened. LaVar's eldest son was selected second overall in the draft.
In December 2017, the Lakers faced the Cleveland Cavaliers, a game in which then Cavalier LeBron James, praised Lonzo's game. A few days later, LaVar once again said that he knows James will sign with the Lakers once he becomes a free agent; which, again happened last summer. LeBron signed a four-year, $153 million contract to join the purple and gold.
LaVar may be right, his words might be making things happen. Two of the Lakers' biggest moves the past couple of years were predicted by the Ball family patriarch, and he has no inside sources or whatsoever. He just believes those things will happen, and they did.
So, can LaVar really predict what will happen in the future?
Well, if you're only going to look at the things that he predicted right, your answer might be yes. But it's a silly question to even ask, especially if LaVar is the one involved, as he's made several claims that he wasn't able to speak into existence.
So let's go back memory lane and look at the false claim and failed guarantees LaVar Ball has made over the years.
He guaranteed UCLA will win the NCAA championship
Before Lonzo made it to the NBA, he was leading UCLA to an impressive run in the NCAA tournament. LaVar was pretty confident that the Bruins will win the title back in 2017, and his son will make it happen.
Only, it didn't.
During the Sweet 16, the Bruins met the Kentucky Wildcats, who was led by De'Aaron Fox. The eventual fifth overall pick in that year's draft scored 39 points to help his team take down UCLA 86-75. Fox said after that game that his motivation was to shut LaVar up.
After UCLA's loss, people thought LaVar will tone things down a bit.
But…
LaVar guarantees Lonzo will will Rookie of the Year and will lead the Lakers into the playoffs
Alright, so Lonzo became a Laker, which gave LaVar the renewed confidence to speak his mind, and why not? He did predict that his eldest will be drafted by the purple and gold, right?
Before the 2017-18 season began, LaVar once again made a bold statement that the Lakers will make the playoffs, and Lonzo will win Rookie of the Year.
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Lonzo started to turn heads when he finished with 29 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists in his second game in the NBA. He led the Lakers to a 132-130 win against the Phoenix Suns.
However, he was severely inconsistent and often injured during his rookie year, which killed all the momentum that he built during the early goings of that season. The Lakers missed the playoffs, and Ball wasn't even a contender for the Rookie of the Year honors.
LaVar Ball guarantees Lakers will win championships with LeBron, 3 sons
Before the Lakers locked LeBron for four years, the idea of pairing him with the team's young core created excitement throughout the city of Los Angeles.
But for LaVar, the only way for the Lakers to win multiple championships with LeBron is if his two other sons, LaMelo and LiAngelo, joins the team.
The Lakers already had Lonzo, so bringing the band of brothers together seemed possible at first.
Again, that didn't happen.
LiAngelo declared for last year's NBA draft after playing in Lithuania and JBA, the amateur league sponsored by Big Baller Brand, which is owned by the Ball family. However, he went undrafted. The Lakers acquired the 39th pick from the Philadelphia 76ers, but they used it to select 19 year-old Isaac Bonga from Germany.
Now, you might think that the Lakers can still sign LiAngelo as a free agent in the coming years, so LaVar's master plan could still happen, and you might be right.
But given the fact that the Lakers included Lonzo in a trade package in an attempt to acquire Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans last month speaks volumes about his future with the franchise. Sure, the blockbuster trade didn't happen, but it is clear that the Lakers no longer see Lonzo as the future point guard of the team.
In addition, LiAngelo's shoplifting incident in China should be enough reason for the Lakers to avoid him moving forward.
LaMelo is projected to be selected in the first round of next year's draft, but given how his father has criticized the Lakers management over the past couple of seasons, he won't end in LA as well, unless he shows the potential to be a generational talent, which, to be honest, is highly unlikely.
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LaVar continues to make and miss with those predictions of his, and no matter what people say about it, he will continue to try to make his those into reality not because he's a prophet, but because it's what he wants to happen for his boys.
But as long as Lonzo, LiAngelo, and LaMelo can't back up their father's words, their careers will be in constant limbo.
Well, none of the Ball brothers seem to mind what their father says about them, so this LaVar Ball circus is expected to continue.
How long will people care about them? That's a completely different story.
