Surprise, surprise. LaVar Ball is back in the headlines. With the NBA season set to return and the 2020 draft in his sights, the Big Baller Brand patriarch is back to his brash ways and hyping up his sons. Specifically, LaVar is talking up his youngest boy LaMelo, who could be in the mix to be the No. 1 overall pick.
While discussing where he would like his son to land to begin his NBA career, Ball specifically mentioned the Golden State Warriors as a team he did NOT want ‘Melo to play for.
LaVar wants his youngest son to go to a team that can be built around him, not a place where he would be second fiddle because LaMelo is “not a follower.” Because of that reason, LaVar says Golden State would be a bad fit.
“That’s the part I don’t like about Golden State. They got Klay and the other guys, and now you want to put Melo in that mix to say you got to follow these guys. Melo ain’t no follower. He doesn’t need to do what they do, let them do their thing,” LaVar said, via Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Bay Area. “There’s a reason you are looking at my son. He’s talented and can play the game. It ain’t that hard. Guy is open, and you pass it to them. You open and you been working on your shot?
“Shoot the ball. It’s fast-paced, it’s good. But don’t be like Melo got to his turn and wait for two or three years to go by and learn from the veterans. Ain’t about that. Can you play or not? And when you special, how do you coach somebody special? You just enjoy it, and they special because of the things they do. Enjoy it. Let him do what he does.”
Of course, it will ultimately be up to the teams in the league to decide whether they are confident in LaMelo’s ability to develop into a star.
But after his stint with the Illawarra Hawks in Australia’s National Basketball League where he averaged 17.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists in 12 games, LaMelo definitely looks the part.
