LaVar Ball and sons take America by storm
If you are unfamiliar with LaVar Ball or his infamous Big Baller Brand, I advise you to visit practically any sports media platform right now. There’s a solid chance you’ll see LaVar’s big grin looking back at you, probably captioned by another one of his ludicrous comments or stunts.
Similarly, if you are bothered by his blasphemous remarks, or his egocentric and arrogant attitude, you are out of luck. Everything that comes out of LaVar’s mouth seems to be media gold, and it doesn’t look like he’ll be going away anytime soon.
The whole story starts in Chino Hills, Ca. Lonzo Ball, the number two overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft, along with his brothers Liangelo and LaMelo, started to turn heads of college scouts and basketball fans alike through their fast-paced and backyard brand of high-school basketball.
Their raw talent and athleticism created the opportunity for all three brothers to commit to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where they were expected to continue their academic and athletic careers. While the Ball brothers took in the glory of national recognition, Lonzo, the eldest brother, stood at the forefront. He was the first to graduate Chino Hills High School, and had an awe-inspiring freshmen year with the UCLA Bruins. Liangelo and LaMelo continued to assert their dominance among the California high school basketball and Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) programs.
But the fame didn’t start or end with the brothers, as LaVar Ball, their fearless advocate and loudmouth father, started to receive more attention than all of them combined.
LaVar’s first venture was the Big Baller Brand, cleverly titled to represent each Ball boy, which is is intended to revolutionize the athletic apparel markets. LaVar chose to stick it to the big companies, like Nike or Adidas, who make millions of dollars off of sponsoring college programs. The Big Baller Brand’s first sneaker release, the “Z02s”, made Lonzo the first ever college player to have his own signature shoe. The cost for the shoe is $500. If you can’t afford them, too bad, says LaVar: “you ain’t a big baller.”
The launch of the brand, combined with the hype of his father, created even more speculations around Lonzo before entering the draft. LaVar predicted that Lonzo would get drafted first overall by the Los Angeles Lakers, and even said his son is better than Steph Curry, who clinched the first ever unanimous MVP just last season.
Lonzo ended up #2 in the 2018 NBA Draft, but was selected by his hometown Lakers. Many players voiced their opinions on his talkative dad, and how he has created unrealistic expectations for the young kid.
LiAngelo Ball was one of three UCLA players to be arrested in Hangzhou, China for shoplifting. This incident led LaVar to pull Liangelo out of UCLA, after being suspended for practically the entire season. It also created a hilarious feud between LaVar and President Trump, who tweeted that LaVar should thank him for freeing his son. LaVar Ball, in response, ridiculed Trump through a thread of tweets and even created a personalized GIF of himself dunking over the president.
Ball then decided to homeschool LaMelo and remove him from Chino Hills, as quarrels and concerns from LaVar about the coaching staff existed there as well.
The most recent stunt by LaVar is his announcement of an NCAA-alternative. The Junior Basketball Association gives high school graduate athletes an opportunity to get paid, receive professional recognition, and skip the mandatory year of college ball. ESPN’s Darren Rovell reports that starting salaries for the lowest ranking players will be around $3,000 a month, and $10,000 for the best players. Ball told ESPN in December that “those kids who are one-and-done,they shouldn’t be there with the NCAA trying to hold them hostage, not allowing them to keep the jersey they wear while selling replicas of them in stores.” The league will be sponsored by none other than the Big Baller Brand.
LiAngelo and LaMelo are currently playing professional basketball in Lithuania, where LaVar is making his way towards becoming a permanent head coach. Lonzo is having success in L.A., and the Big Baller Brand is everywhere. Although reports of revenue from the company have yet to be released, he has created an unparalleled recognition for his brand.
Whether you think LaVar is exploiting his kids in attempts to make a buck by saying everything and anything to get on TV, he has captured our attention and will not let go. He has made it almost impossible for anyone to ignore the next thing he says, and it might just remain that way for the rest of his kids’ careers.
