Kyrie Irving Says LaVar Ball Needs to 'Let Lonzo Be Lonzo'
Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving believes LaVar Ball, the outspoken father of top 2017 NBA draft prospect Lonzo Ball, eventually needs to take a step back to let his son chart his own path.
On Friday, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com passed along comments Irving made to Cavs teammates Richard Jefferson and Channing Frye on their Uninterrupted Road Trippin' podcast about the issue.
"I'm sorry, LaVar, you're not going to be in every hotel room that Lonzo is going to be in," he said. "You're not going to be everywhere and part of his life as he continues to grow up. You got to let go. He's 19 years old. Don't get me wrong—I don't want it to bypass him being a father, but he's got to let Lonzo be Lonzo for the long haul."
Irving added all of the top point guards in the NBA are already "going to go at [Lonzo]" because he's a rookie. And his dad's constant over-the-top comments won't help.
"Then you start adding, I mean, we've seen it. We've seen people be implemented into the spotlight, and it just draws an even bigger target on them," Irving said. "We've seen it."
The elder Ball has made numerous outlandish comments in recent months, which has made him a more popular headline figure leading up to the draft than any of this year's prospects.
They have ranged from Lonzo's already being better than Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry—a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player—to his own ability to beat Michael Jordan, one of the greatest players in history, in a game of one-on-one, per USA Today's Josh Peter.
The key question is whether his father's actions will have any impact when teams start to place Lonzo, a projected top-three selection, on their final draft boards.
One NBA general manager told Sean Deveney of Sporting News in March that it's something franchises must consider.
"It doesn't help, all this stuff with his father," the GM said. "I don't know what is gained for the kid by putting that much pressure on him. Nobody from the league has been meeting with [Lonzo] or anything, but that is going to be another thing to look at when it comes to due diligence before the draft. How does he handle his dad—is it just something he laughs about, or is it real pressure on him?"
ESPN's Jeff Goodman noted Los Angeles Lakers president Magic Johnson downplayed the role it will play in final evaluations, however.
"No effect at all," he said. "I think what you're drafting is the son and not the father. I think that you also are gauging and evaluating his son on his ability and what he can do not only on the basketball court but also what he can do for your team. How he can enhance and make your team better."
One way or another, Lonzo Ball should hear his name called early on draft night June 22. It will be interesting to see whether his dad's involvement changes as the UCLA product's pro career gets underway.
