Lakers News: Latest LaVar Ball Rumors; LeBron James, Kobe Bryant Dish on Lonzo
The Los Angeles Lakers apparently would like for LaVar Ball to tone it down.
The team's front office reportedly met with the always-outspoken father of Lonzo Ball hoping to have him think twice about making negative comments about the 10-16 Lakers' struggles this season, sources told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne.
The meeting, organized by Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka, reportedly took place within the last few weeks, per Shelburne.
"It was the best thing, man," LaVar told ESPN. "Everybody's going to try to make it an ego thing, like I'm trying to tell them what to do or they're trying to tell me to tone it down. It's not about that. It's about coming together and to get a solution to this problem.
"It may sound crazy to other people, but I really just want the best for Lonzo, and the best for Lonzo is going to be what's best for the organization. Because if everybody's winning, we good."
Pelinka and Johnson chose not to comment on the meeting, but a Lakers' insider revealed that the team wanted to keep their relationship with the elder Ball positive while allowing him to still speak freely and they preferred that he showed them the same courtesy.
The founder of the Big Baller Brand confirmed the meeting and recalled telling Pelinka and Johnson that he understood their point of view and would do his best to toe the line.
"I'm going to say whatever I want to say, however I want to say it," LaVar said. "And they said, 'LaVar, come and talk to us first.' So that's fine, too. But I am going to say, to plant a seed, 'Let's look for this now.' They may not want to hear that, but it's going to be successful if you listen to what I'm saying on that fact, that I know what it takes for my son to run like this."
Things between LaVar and the Lakers began to come to a head when the former started to criticize head coach Luke Walton for numerous reasons, including not playing his son in the fourth quarter. But according to Ball, he has no relationship with Walton.
"I never talk to Luke on account of the fact that I can't," Ball said. "He's either at practice or after the game, he's doing his thing and I'm doing mine. I understand. I talked to Luke way before the season starts."
Walton has been forced to field questions about LaVar's comments lately but has taken the high road.
"We are in here every day grinding and working on getting better," Walton told ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk, per Shelburne. "With anything within the team, if I feel there is a disruption between our team and between the people within these walls, I just bring everyone to the film room and talk about it. I air it out. I don't care if it is uncomfortable.
"Something I learned from Steve [Kerr] is to never let a small thing turn into a big thing. Nip it in the bud right away. There have been a couple of times where we aired it [issues] out, and most of the time it is nothing."
Lonzo gets support from LeBron, Kobe
There's no getting around it: Lonzo Ball is living under a constant microscope.
Even though he's only played in 26 games, he's one of the most scrutinized athletes in the NBA.
And while the No. 2 overall pick owes his father for painting a virtual target on his back, he manages to keep a level head.
No other player in the league understands what the sensational rookie is going through more than LeBron James.
The four-time MVP spoke about the start of Ball's career after his Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Atlanta Hawks 123-114 Tuesday night.
"The kid hasn't said anything," James told ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "It's been everybody else. So, I love his humility. He goes out, every time someone asks him a question, he says, 'This is not about me, man. I just want to win. I don't care about what I did.' I seen he had a triple-double one game and they lost. He was like, 'I don't care. We lost.'
"So, can I draw any parallel to my experience? I mean, of course. I guess when you're drafted to a franchise, they want you to kind of be the savior. And it takes a while."
James went on to say that going to a team like the Lakers, a team with 16 championship banners hanging in the rafters, has added to the expectations heaped on the point guard.
"I don't know what he's personally going through," James said. "I can't comment on anyone's situation because I'm not a part of it. From the outside looking in, yeah, there's a lot around him. I mean, he's the No. 2 pick. He's drafted to a team that's not been very good the last few years--who's built off winning championships. That's what the Lakers are about. That's what the Patriots are about. That's what the San Antonio Spurs are about, the Red Sox and the Yankees. So, when you become a part of that, you become a part of a franchise that's accustomed to winning."
James wasn't the only big star to offer his understanding. Kobe Bryant also chimed in to offer his support.
"I haven't heard from him," Bryant told Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times. "But it's nothing he can't figure out. He'll do the work, [Kyle] Kuzma will do the work, they'll all figure it out. All these questions you ask me about LaVar [Ball] and all this other stuff that are really hot topics right now will be forgotten."
Bryant hasn't been as involved with the team as many expected, but he's still in regular contact with Pelinka, his former agent.
Ball's father has made headlines recently for criticizing the team's coaching, but Bryant said he doesn't think it will get out of hand.
No matter what outside forces surround Ball, James said it's way too early to make a call about the rookie's future.
"Well, I mean, I knew [the player I would grow into]," James said. "So you got to ask Zo. I mean, I knew what I was going to become. I just had that drive. ... I just knew I had the tools."
Whether or not Lonzo has the tools remains to be seen, but as the year unfolds, he'll get many opportunities to quiet his detractors, especially if he listens to James' advice to stay focused and put on "blinders" to avoid distractions along the way.
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