Los Angeles Lakers: Did Lonzo Ball’s diss track take it too far?
The Los Angeles Lakers are dealing with a situation they never thought they would have to deal with this offseason.
The Los Angeles Lakers are heading into one of their most important offseasons in recent memory. However, a rap beef is what is dominating the headlines.
Tupac vs. Biggie, N.W.A. vs. Ice Cube, and now Lonzo Ball vs. Kyle Kuzma? The West Coast is notorious for getting entangled in rap beefs, but Lakers’ young blood, Lonzo Ball may have stepped out of line.
The Lakers are no strangers to camaraderie this past season, with rookies Ball and Kuzma becoming instant friends after being drafted together in the first round. However, over the season they could be considered more ‘frenemies.’ With a handful of playful dialogues on social media, the duo consistently puts each other on blast.
One notable spat was in January 2018 when Lonzo and brother, Melo, thought Kuzma could use a new stylist:
https://twitter.com/ZO2_/status/957119049456144385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fftw.usatoday.com%2F2018%2F01%2Flonzo-lamelo-ball-kyle-kuzma-instagram-twitter-teeth-roast-funny-nba-lakers
Kuzma didn’t just sit back and take it with a smile though. Even Big Baller Brand got dragged into it:
https://twitter.com/ZO2_/status/957123321170219008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fftw.usatoday.com%2F2018%2F01%2Flonzo-lamelo-ball-kyle-kuzma-instagram-twitter-teeth-roast-funny-nba-lakers
Occasionally they would involve fellow youngin’s, Brandon Ingram or Josh Hart in the fun and games:
When’s the last time you did anything relevant besides playing video games? https://t.co/0VAa8Ro2Kb
— kuz (@kylekuzma) June 6, 2018
The tone quickly changed this week, however, when Lonzo Ball released his ‘diss track,’ “Kylie Kuzma.” He didn’t pull any punches, rapping sharp lyrics minimizing the First Team All-Rookie‘s role on the Lakers, “Who are you without ZO2? Just another dude with a bunch of tattoos.”
Much of Lonzo’s fame is a result of his father, LaVar Ball’s, prominence in media. Kuzma does not have the same relationship with his father, so some were taken aback when Lonzo dropped the bar, “Don’t know who your daddy is, well your a** is getting sonned.”
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Then there are the skill-focused lyrics, “Claiming that I can’t shoot, but all these words is hitting you. Boy you talking crazy, why you try to play me? You ain’t on my level, you ain’t famous as my baby. I’m working out daily, but I ain’t posting it. And I would never stop a workout just to post a pic.”
This caught the attention of ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. On the podcast The Hoop Collective, she says, “Kuz proved himself in terms of work ethic and his rookie season, 10 times over. I mean, this guy was incredible for them.”
When commenting on Lonzo’s claims of working out she stated, “Lonzo, as Magic Johnson has said, Rob Pelinka has said, needs to get in the weight room. I think Magic called it the most important summer of his life. So, the optics on it aren’t great.”
Most importantly, Shelburne shared her insight into the Lakers organization’s reaction:
"These are actual diss tracks with real production values that you’re spending time and energy on. It just doesn’t look all that professional. And it certainly doesn’t look all that serious for a young team that’s trying to position itself as a team that wants to win right now. … I know that the Lakers certainly want to let their guys have fun. They don’t mind it on a certain level. But the latest stuff, I’ve definitely gotten some text messages back-and-forth of LA from people within and outside the organization doing a double take."
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Lonzo and Kuzma may feel that it’s lighthearted, but they will have to proceed with caution…Especially if the Lakers are trying to recruit top-tier professionals like Paul George and LeBron James.