LaVar Ball, the father of draft prospect Lonzo Ball, makes headlines on a daily basis. The controversial figure has mastered the art of manipulating 24/7 news cycle to get as much exposure for his Big Baller Brand as possible making his company a household name even before Lonzo gets drafted by an NBA team.
As for where Lonzo will end up in the NBA, LaVar is doing everything within his power to get him in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform. LaVar, who has repeatedly said he wants his son playing for the Lakers, claims he’s going to talk it into existence, via ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne:
“Oh, he’s going to be a Laker,” he says. “I’m going to keep talking about it until it happens.”
The Lakers currently have no choice in the matter as the team awaits its fate in the NBA Draft Lottery which takes place on Tues. May 16. Los Angeles has a 46.9 percent chance of keeping their top-three protected pick and will likely need to have one of the top-two picks to have a chance at drafting Lonzo.
If the team does end up keeping their lottery pick and ends up at No. 1 or No. 2, all signs seem to be pointing in the direction of drafting Ball. Lonzo fits a glaring need for the Lakers in the backcourt and is seemingly the ideal choice for the purple and gold.
Lonzo joins a draft class of some very talented players including Markelle Fultz (Washington), Josh Jackson (Kansas), Jayson Tatum (Duke), and De’Aaron Fox (Kentucky). Ball, Fultz, and Fox all play the point guard position making it a tough decision for Magic Johnson and company with all three players bringing different things to the table.