Los Angeles Lakers have to stand tall amidst LaVar Ball’s recent comments
Although LaVar Ball continues to open his mouth, the Los Angeles Lakers cannot let his words affect their overall development.
Not a single person within the Los Angeles Lakers organization should be too shocked in terms of LaVar Ball’s latest antics. Causing a stir is something Lonzo Ball’s father is adept at, and the word adept is probably an understatement.
Thus, to hear LaVar publicly criticizing the Lakers should not raise too many eyebrows one would think. However, this time the outspoken character may have gone a bit too far. Then again, when hasn’t LaVar gone too far? It seems like what comes out of his mouth continues to reach new levels of creativity.
In this case, the elder Ball basically declared that Lakers’ head coach Luke Walton is not Big Baller Brand material. In other words, the latter is apparently unfit to be the team’s leader and should be given the boot altogether. That is pretty bold, to say the least—even for LaVar.
As was echoed previously, though, should the sports world be all too surprised? Not really. Albeit LaVar Ball’s tendencies continue to incline the heads of many to shake back and forth, he consistently has another trick up his sleeve. Sunday’s display was merely his latest act. It surely will not be his last.
Given that the Lakers had lost nine straight games prior to Sunday’s triumph over the Hawks, it is not like things in L.A. are all peachy. As if a 12-27 record even after said triumph is not enough indication, then what is?
Granted these are indeed trying times for the purple and gold, moments along these lines should be viewed as tests for the organization. Tests of the character over everyone involved above all else.
Walton understands this concept very much so. After Sunday evening’s ballgame, he shed further light on this idea via what Dave Schilling of Bleacher Report indicates.
"“We have to trust each other. We have to have each other’s backs,” Walton told reporters after Sunday night’s victory over Atlanta. “We work together. That’s obviously not always going to be 100 percent true, but that’s the messaging all year long: ‘Don’t let outside influence influence what we’re doing.’”"
When this message is examined, it is curious due to the team meeting L.A. held back in December. Rumor has it that the meeting included tidbits concerning the business side of the organization (which surely adds more fuel to the fire regarding the trade speculation).
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It is a key point in the season to remember since factors like the trade talks reportedly served as a roadblock for some of the squad’s players. Therefore, one cannot help but wonder if LaVar’s constant verbal tirades are beginning to affect the 16-time champions.
Whether they are or not, the ball club has to rise above the gobbly-gook. LaVar’s grandiose public remarks are not worth intense scrutiny. He is not going to stop being who he is notwithstanding how eye-rolling his ways are. For the opposite to occur would be wishful thinking.
Forward Kyle Kuzma has a firm grasp on that. The rookie also comprehends that social media does not necessarily help all the time when such remarks are stated.
Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN recently transcribed Kuzma’s thought process with respect to the world of social media.
"“In our society, social media’s so big in our lives,” Kuzma explained. “It’s all over the place. ESPN puts out anything for clicks now, it kind of seems like. You can’t really hide from it; it’s just a thing that you have to deal with and just move past it. No other generation of NBA players has to deal with what we have to deal with in our era.”"
“Kuz” clearly discerns that the Lakers’ priorities extend beyond the circulation revolving around his teammate’s dad. Despite the word “Big” being in the “BBB” name, Kuzma believes the Lakers have bigger fish to fry.
It is not to assert that tuning out the buzz is a piece of cake. Nonetheless, learning to ignore the mumbo-jumbo will serve this young team well in the long run.
On account of the Lakers’ overall youth, they cannot afford to let outside factors alter their play. A dizzying array of things are already trying to be monitored. Whether it relates to free-throwing shooting, outside shooting, defense, taking better care of the ball, and so forth, L.A. has their work cut out for them.
The important ingredient connected with those multiple elements listed above is that they all pertain to basketball. Those are the areas that are worthy of attention. Those spots have to be addressed in practice.
It is not to say that the Lakers should not take some degree of action against the head of the Ball clan. Because it would be absolutely justified at this interval.
Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times thinks that the Lakers’ brass should hold a meeting with LaVar to calm the storm. In spite of the suggestion, though, Plaschke knows that such a session may not cause a dramatic shift in LaVar’s behavior.
"History says the meeting won’t go well. They’ve already met with LaVar once about quieting down and it didn’t work. Enriched by the millions of eyeballs that focus on his every word — which leads to his constant coverage by media that quotes him because it’s good business — this fame hound will not soon be silenced."
The last part is what is admittedly scary to think about. This is not LaVar’s first criticism of Walton, either, and the former has already badmouthed players such as Julius Randle. Consequently, who knows where the next slingshot will be fired.
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Doing something (whether it entails a meeting or not) therefore seems feasible. On the other hand, it may not mean a lot because, indeed, the first private discussion did not pan out.
Unfortunately, said discussion did not pan out because LaVar has established by now that he cannot even respect the wishes of the one guy Lonzo, his son, likely modeled his game after in Magic Johnson. Magic is the man who gave LaVar’s boy a chance with the team LaVar wanted him to go to in the first place.
With all of that out there, it is actually kind of sad that Lonzo’s dad cannot zip it with the comments. Remarkably sad.
While that is true, the purple and gold cannot let LaVar prevent them from getting to where they need to be. They simply cannot. Doing so will only spur greater damage for a franchise that is working tirelessly to return to the glory days of yesteryear.
Walton appears to agree with this sentiment, too, via what a recent piece from ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne points out.
"Walton, for his part, has continued to preach to his team that the only opinions that matter are the ones in his locker room, a classic Phil Jackson approach of letting chaos outside the bubble of the team bring the group closer together. Privately, sources close to Walton said he’s more annoyed by the distraction than concerned about his job security."
Even though it is easier said than done, the Lakers have to take what LaVar says with a grain of salt. As Shelburne asserted, doing so will thereby produce a more peaceful atmosphere in Los Angeles.
Such a posture may sound passive in nature. It is not to say that the team should not take action, however. Delicate times along these lines are ones where L.A. must stand tall.
Whatever the solution is, remains to be seen. It is a whole nother can of worms.
A small part of the fix, though, derives itself from sticking together. The Los Angeles Lakers must continue to work together despite the elder Ball’s persistent comments.
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On paper, this may look easy—it is certainly not. But keeping in mind such a philosophy will be a step in the right direction for the storied organization.