This morning basketball pundits from across the media spectrum are discussing LaVar Ball once again. As in the past, the decisions that he is making for the future of his children are front and center. On Monday, it was announced that LaMelo was pulled out of school by his father, who will home school and train him for two years. LaMelo, who recently became the first high school player in history with his own signature athletic shoe, is a highly-touted junior and is said to be a better shooter and scorer than both of his elder brothers. He averaged 26 per game as a sophomore.
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One of the primary knocks against the elder Ball was the manner in which he hyped up and promoted his children. Some have even gone as far as saying hes prostituting them. Indeed, I have to concur that LaVar does seem to be the ultimate helicopter parent, hovering over his kids and all of their accomplishments.
But, its more than strange that hes getting so much guff in a country that continually mentions black parenting, or the lack thereof, as a key marker in how much success children are able to squeeze out of life. In a country where 1-in-4 children are raised in a single-parent household, people are frowning up their faces because a black man has ultimate faith in his kids and the confidence to tell anyone who will listen. That just sounds so stupid to me.
Lavar Ball on Twitter
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Back in June, the venerable Kareem Abdul Jabbar had this to say about Ball during an interview with 95.7 The Fan:
Everybody knows about his sons because he has been able to hype them. But I dont think thats good for college basketball, Abdul-Jabbar said. College basketball is starting to look like a it doesnt look good. It looks like its a huckster show. And that bothers me, you know. You have people going those lengths to promote their kids. I dont get it.
Since that time, Louisville mens basketball coach Rick Pitino, widely regarded as one of the top recruiters in the nation, lost his job due to being directly linked to a scheme to funnel money to prospective student athletes via footwear company Adidas. I wonder what Kareem has to say about the “”hallowed” institution of college basketball now.
Quite frankly, big time college basketball has always been a huckster show and Mr. Jabbar’s statement seems nave at best. Now that a father is trying to blaze a trail for his children rather than having them being taken advantage of by the status quo HES the problem? Ok. (In my Jay Z voice)
Most parents dont have to worry about what the media has to say about their individual parenting skills. Most people dont have children that are so exceptional that they garner national media coverage. However, the Balls arent your average progeny. When you have extraordinary kids, extraordinary steps are required to groom and protect them.
Big Baller Brand on Twitter
Introducing our new @facebook show #BallInTheFamily | You can watch it on this link https://t.co/6Ys28mjGBW 1st episode airs tomorrow https://t.co/lJb8xMcmvS
For those of a certain age, the media scrutiny heaped upon Richard Williams when rearing daughters Venus and Serena into all-time tennis greats is reminiscent of this situation. Williams was, and still remains, a strong Black father who refused to back down or stand aside when his daughters were mistreated or slighted, no matter if an individual or organization stood in his path.
LaVar’s oldest son is Lonzo Ball, currently a promising rookie point guard with the Los Angeles Lakers. The second oldest is LiAngelo Ball, who recently started fall semester at UCLA and will be playing for the Bruins mens basketball team this fall. Despite the oldest Ball offspring being in the NBA and a second playing for one of the most storied collegiate basketball programs in the nation, LaMelo Ball, the youngest of the three, has been called the best of them all by father LaVar. Up until recently, he was a sophomore at high school at Chino Hills High School in Southern California.
According to rumors, LaVar Ball did not like the basketball coach of Chino Hills High, Dennis Latimore, and decided it was best to remove him from the school.
Im not dealing with the coach over there, LaVar Ball told ESPNs Ramona Shelburne, referring to Chino Hills. Im not dealing with the administration over there. I dont want no distractions on Melo.
So therefore Im going to home-school him and make him the best basketball player ever.
Even though the true catalyst for the move made by Ball was the new coachs offensive approach, LaVar went on to say that this move would be good for LaMelo because there would be less distractions.
Ramona Shelburne on Twitter
More LaVar: “The coach made a comment the other day. He said, ‘all those 50 shots a game, that’s going to stop.’
I concur with that particular statement. Right now, high school basketball players all over the nation are getting ready to have what many of them hope will be the best season of their life.
Balancing practice, books, homework, young ladies, parties and the usual teenage shenanigans are natural entanglements that they all are expected to manage. However, when youre the 7th ranked high school basketball player in the nation, distractions are multiplied and magnified. But when youre the younger brother of a would-be NBA star, a UCLA basketball player and the son of a verbose, bold and media-savvy father with your own signature shoe and a reality show, those distractions are likely unbearable.
All over the television, sports talking heads are giving their opinions on what Ball, a black man, decides to do with HIS children. Most of the comments are not supportive or even objective. From the moment LaVar Ball began appearing in the national media with increased scrutiny, he has had naysayers. Sanctimonious, judgmental and everything but objective, their words seem disingenuous.
At this point, LaVar Ball says his youngest son will not play competitive basketball until his AAU team starts back up in the spring and does admit that he isnt certain how his sons Baller Brand shoe will change his NCAA eligibility, but we all know that the NCAA isnt the only game in town. If theres one thing Ive learned over the years its that truly special talent does not go unnoticed no matter where it toils. If LaVar Ball gets his son to handle business, and I have no doubt that he will, its almost certain that LaMelos career arc will go unaltered, and its also certain that the haters will find something else to hate on.
