LaVar Ball is quickly becoming a household name, and he might actually not be that crazy at all.
Ball is the father of UCLA Bruins star point guard Lonzo Ball, who is taking the college basketball world by storm. Our own Zach Cronin recently had his take on LaVar saying he would “kill Michael Jordan in one-on-one back in his heyday.”
That was straight up blasphemy, and we all know it. Nonetheless, Ball is getting buzz for his gifted trio of sons. Obviously “Zo” as his dad calls him, has been tearing it up for the Bruins. The 6-6 freshman looks like an ideal new-age point guard, and perhaps could be the face of a shoe company. He is executing Bruins coach Steve Alford’s “pace and space” philosophy with amazing efficiency.
The youngster is putting up 14.6 points and 7.7 assists per game, according to Sports Reference. He’s also operating with an effective shooting rate of 66 percent, including 41 percent from deep. Not to mention that his shooting motion is revolutionary. LaVar’s son does everything that is required of a superstar point guard in today’s NBA.
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He can score in every way, he passes like Magic Johnson, and he’s taller than everybody guarding him. Or he’s way too fast, and the guy is probably the fastest player in the NCAA dribbling the ball coast-to-coast. To relate this to his father, though, it’s about the money right?
Bleacher Report’s Rob Goldberg reported that the father of Lonzo, and high school superstars LiAngelo and LaMelo, wants “a billion dollars” for an investment in his Big Baller Brand. At first glance, it would be the largest shoe marketing deal in history, also according to Goldberg.
He’s living in the clouds with that kind of talk. That’s what you’re thinking. Or is he? I mean when you factor in the potential marketing dynamo of Lonzo, and the shooting display of his brothers at Chino Hills High School, that could be three superstar talents in one family. Here’s Ball’s interview with Fox Sports radio personality Colin Cowherd, and it was interesting.
This dude is definitely not lacking in confidence, but his sons have the potential star power quality to have their own brand legitimately. They shoot from halfcourt in-game and can make all kinds of no-look passes.
Basketball is becoming more and more about the highlights, and when you factor in entities with unlimited revenue streams like Nike, who knows? Have ten $100 million investments over a ten-year span aren’t so far-fetched. Here’s Cowherd from earlier today on the prospects of a shoe line headed by the next point guard phenom.
LaVar Ball is going to have the last laugh pic.twitter.com/wwYYnv0q5W
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) March 14, 2017
After all, Big Baller Brand is Built for This. They work out on Christmas for Chrissake! Hell, Kobe might be in.
Follow Dan on Twitter: @ArmchairQBDan
