Lakers News: Latest Buzz on Lonzo Ball, LaVar Ball and Metta World Peace
LaVar Ball is still doing LaVar Ball things.
After his son Lonzo Ball lost 119-112 to the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday, the elder Ball pretty much guaranteed that the Los Angeles Lakers would beat the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.
“[The Wizards] better beware cause Lonzo ain’t losing again,” LaVar told Ball Don't Lie. “Not in the same week!”
Not surprisingly, Wizards center Marcin Gortat didn't take too kindly to the comment, responding via Twitter that teammate John Wall would "torture" Lonzo for 48 minutes.
Gortat didn't leave it at that, though. He also replied to another tweet, saying that he was glad he got the "best seat in the building" to watch Wall punish the Lakers No. 2 overall pick.
Wall on the other hand, explained why it's bad that LaVar keeps writing checks that Lonzo will have to cash on the court.
“I think [Lonzo’s] dad put him in a situation where guys are going to target him,” Wall said on the Wizards Tipoff podcast. “Lonzo is one of those kids that is very talented. He’s been a good player for years, he just don’t say much. I think his dad does all the talking for him.”
LaVar's braggadocio also rubbed Los Angeles Clippers guard Patrick Beverley the wrong way, prompting him to give the rookie a very rough warm welcome to the league. Since then, though, Ball has bounced back, averaging 18.5 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds per game.
Wall is on a tear of his own, averaging 24.3 points, 10 assists and three rebounds per contest.
The matchup between Wall and Ball was already going to be a highlight, now it's must see TV.
Metta World Peace joins Lakers G League Team as player development coach
Metta World Peace is back, Laker Nation.
Earlier this year, World Peace played his final game with the Lakers and now he's returned for a third stint, this time as a coach.
The man formerly known as Ron Artest was hired on Monday as a player development assistant for the South Bay Lakers.
World Peace will work under Coby Karl, who is entering his second season as the head coach of the Lakers' NBA Gatorade League affiliate.
“He’d be a good coach," Kobe Bryant told Los Angeles Daily News two years ago. "He’s extremely intelligent and communicates very well and is not afraid to hold guys accountable.”
The 2004 Defensive Player of the Year became a fan favorite after helping to lead the team to a championship in 2010, by hitting game-winning 3-pointer to win Game 7 over the Boston Celtics.
World Peace was out of the league after a failed stint with the New York Knicks in 2013, but was back in the summer of 2015 after getting a training camp invite from the Lakers. He surprised everyone by earning a roster spot, but he used most of his time to mentor the younger players like Julius Randle.
Just two years ago, World Peace expressed his interest in coaching one day, often tapping his former mentor, Rick Carlisle, for coaching advise.
“He’s got a chance to be a good coach,” Carlisle told Los Angeles Daily News' Mark Medina. "He's passionate and knowledgeable about the game."
Lonzo the youngest Laker to 10 assists in a game
Lonzo Ball can't seem to dodge the Magic Johnson comparisons.
After stumbling on opening night, Ball has been showing why so many, including the Magic one, find parallels between the two.
"You can see that. If he's getting triple-doubles in the summer league, he is going to get triple-doubles in the regular season," Johnson told ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk back in July. "Just like me, when I got here, there was pressure. I was the No. 1 pick [in 1979]. I didn't care about that. I am going to play my game. Lonzo is going to play his game. The great ones do."
Sunday night, he reached a new milestone, racking up 13 assists in the Lakers' 119-112 loss to the Pelicans.
At 19, Ball becomes the youngest player in Lakers history to dish out double digit dimes in a game. The previous record, of course, was held by Magic.
Ball just missed a triple double with eight points and eight rebounds. He was 0-of-5 from behind the arc and just 3-of-13 from the field. Although it was a bad shooting night, head coach Luke Walton was happy with the rookie's aggressiveness, per Lakers reporter Mike Trudell.
Ball will be going head-to-head with the Wizards' John Wall on Wednesday, so if he manages to get his first triple double under that kind of pressure, it'll warrant the comparisons to his Hall of Fame general manager.
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