LaVar Ball on Lonzo Winning Rookie of the Year: 'I've Got the Trophy Already'

Los Angeles Lakers rookie point guard Lonzo Ball made his Las Vegas Summer League debut against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night, but LaVar Ball is already preparing the trophy case.

Ball's outspoken father appeared on the ESPN halftime show and made another trademark bold prediction about how Lonzo's first year in the NBA will go, per Jay King of MassLive.com.

"Rookie of the Year? It's already a done deal," the elder Ball said. "I've got the trophy already."

The forecast shouldn't come as much surprise given the fact LaVar said Lonzo was already better than two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry while his son was still playing at UCLA.

While there have been questions about whether his father's comments will create additional pressure on a rookie with high expectations, Lonzo has downplayed the issue. He talked about the situation during an appearance on ESPN's First Take back in March, per Marcus Kwesi O'Mard of NESN.

"No, at the end of the day, I'm on the court, not him," Lonzo said. "Whatever people say off the court, they're gonna say. At the end of the day, it's up to me and what I do on the court. I stay true to myself, I work on my game and I'm very calm."

Meanwhile, LaVar told Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com he had no plans to move away from the spotlight now that his oldest son is a member of the Lakers.

"I ain't stepping back to nothing. ... I don't step back," he said. "Why would I change?"

His approach has made him one of the most polarizing figures in sports, but he seems to enjoy being a lightning rod for attention. Now Lonzo has to go out and do the hard part of trying to prove him right by winning Rookie of the Year.