Admitting Defeat
Oh, how LaVar Ball would be, were Luke to get fired. The media would flock to him as soon as the news were to be reported.
The gregarious and flamboyant father denies Walton should be at the helm of Lakers personnel. In an ESPN report by Jeff Goodman, LaVar essentially bombed Luke on the recent nine-game skid:
"“You can see they’re not playing for [Luke Walton] no more. He doesn’t have control of the team no more. They don’t want to play for him… Nobody wants to play for him. I can see it. No high-fives when they come out of the game. He’s too young. He ain’t connecting with them anymore. You can look at every player, he’s not connecting with not one player.”"
This is the same person who claimed that he could beat Michael Jordan one-on-one in a basketball pickup game. This is the same person who boasted that his son could be better than Stephen Curry, the greatest shooter of all time. LaVar also insinuated that Magic convinced LeBron James, arguably the best player of this generation, to sign with Los Angeles, even though he’s considered a ‘long shot‘ to even play for the purple and gold.
Luke deserves better; he honestly does. Magic Johnson, Rob Pelinka, and the rest of the Lakers staff admit losing if Walton lost his coaching job. It would ruin the Lakers’ reputation. Headlines on the LA Times scream “LaVar Knew it All Along” or even “Luke Walton: LaVar Ball’s Pawn in Control.”
The Open Floor: SI NBA Podcast released an episode with show host Ben Golliver’s comments on LaVar Ball. The phrase “genie in a bottle” comes to mind; that media let out that genie.
Submitting to LaVar Ball’s demands, even from an indirect standpoint, is the last dish the Lakers want to be served in a cloudy season. Kupchak hired Walton to develop his players, and Pelinka continues the Lakers’ loyalty oath to him. Let his deal run through 2020. If he underachieves, fire him.
Next: 3 Most Important Questions For Lakers In 2018
Walton looks to continue a Lakers three-game winning streak against the Dallas Mavericks.