Over the past couple of months, the NBA world has sustained the constant rhetoric and analysis of LeVar Ball, father of potential No. 1 draft pick Lonzo Ball of UCLA.
Among those assertions, the outspoken father said he could’ve beat legend Michael Jordan in a game of one-on-one back in the day and that his son is already better than two-time MVP Stephen Curry.
Now, Papa Ball is going after another MVP: Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James.
In a recent interview with Chris Broussard, Ball called James’ sons “whack” and questioned their abilities to be good in the league because of the high expectations that will be placed on them:
“You got LeBron, it’s gonna be so hard for his kids, ’cause they gonna look at them like, ‘You gotta be just like your dad.’ And after a while that pressure starts sitting on you like, ‘Why do I gotta be like him, why can’t I just be me?’ And then they’re gonna be like, ‘Aw, you’re soft, you’re not that good.’ Because the expectation is very, very high.”
The confident father didn’t shy away from finding other comparisons either:
“Here’s the thing, you gotta play the odds and the percentages,” said Ball. “There’s been a lot of great players, and all of their sons are whack.
“Kareem’s (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) got sons, Jordan’s (Michael Jordan) got sons, Shaq’s (Shaquille O’Neal) got sons.”
“His son is pretty good too,” Broussard responded.
“His son is alright,” Ball quickly interjected. “…the monsters in the NBA, their dads wasn’t that good. They were OK, they was players, but the fact that the old Curry wasn’t no All-Star, he wasn’t cold. He could shoot the ball though. Kobe Bryant, his dad wasn’t all that, that’s why he’s such a monster.”
Whether the claims hold out to be true, only time will tell. What is true is that Ball has made some enemies around the league due to his numerous controversial and disrespectful comments.
