OAKLAND–The Warriors have a handful of players with very famous parents.
Dell Curry was an NBA sharpshooter, Mychal Thompson is a two-time NBA champion and Wanda Durant is the “Real MVP.”
But the combined star power of all Warriors’ parents pales in comparison to that of LaVar Ball, the father of Los Angeles Lakers’ point guard Lonzo Ball who’s every sneeze creates headlines. Regardless of whether society should pay attention to Ball (we shouldn’t), when he talks, people listen. And when Ball says something of consequence –like he did when told ESPN’s Jeff Goodman that Lakers’ coach Luke Walton has lost his team– it evolves into a firestorm.
Why is Ball a story? Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr analyzed the situation on Monday night.
“I’ve talked to people in the media this year, I’ve said, ‘Why do you guys have to cover that guy,’” Kerr said. “They say, well we don’t want to. Nobody wants to. Our bosses tell us we have to because of the ratings. Somewhere, I guess in Lithuania, LaVar Ball is laughing at all of us. People are eating out of his hands for no apparent reason. Other than he’s become like a Kardashian of the NBA or something and that sells. That’s what is true in politics and entertainment and now in sports. It doesn’t matter if there’s any substance involved with an issue. It’s just, can we make it interesting for no apparent reason? There’s nothing interesting about that story.”
The Warriors’ fourth-year head coach worked for ESPN as a commentator, but is dismayed by the role his former employer and several other media entities have played in granting Ball a leading voice. Kerr, like every other NBA coach, wishes Ball didn’t receive coverage because it takes away from the important stories that could do a greater service for the public.
“This is the world we live in now,” Kerr said. “I was thinking about ESPN and they laid off, I don’t know, 100 people, how many people did they lay off over the last year? Well over 100. Many of whom were really talented journalists covering the NBA. This is not an ESPN judgment, it’s a societal thing more than anything. Where we’re going is we’re going away from covering the game and we’re getting over to just sensationalized news. It’s not even news really, it’s complete nonsense. But if you package that irrational nonsense with some glitter and some ribbon, people are going to watch.”
Ball has turned himself into the center of attention at each level of his sons’ development. At the high school level, Ball’s criticism played a role in coaching overturn at Chino Hills in Southern California. Once his oldest son Lonzo left UCLA, his middle son LaMelo was involved in a shoplifting incident on a team trip to China before Ball pulled his son from the university. Now, he’s taken LaMelo and his youngest son LiAngelo to Lithuania to play professionally in Europe, and created even more distractions around each turn.
Even though he’s halfway across the globe, Ball still found time to criticize Walton’s handling of the Lakers, which Kerr said is an unfortunate reality of the job in Los Angeles.
“I feel horrible for Luke, that’s my guy,” Kerr said. “He’s one of my best friends. He shouldn’t have to deal with this. To me, one of the things about the NBA, it’s always been a haven from the parents. The guys who coach high school are the ones that really have to deal with the parents. I’ve never had to talk to a parent that’s upset about playing time. I’m sure there are many out there, but they don’t have a voice in the NBA. But for whatever reason, we’re giving this guy a voice and Luke’s got to deal with it and it’s a shame.”
Kerr’s point about the separation between parents and playing time in the NBA carries a separation of church and state like appeal. There’s never been this much attention paid to the father of an NBA player, even if a mother or father did feel their son deserved more minutes. Now, Ball controls very specific messages, and Kerr believes he’s doing great harm to his son Lonzo, the NBA, and journalists who cover the league.
“You know how many parents of my players have been at home, ‘Why isn’t he playing my kid,’ and yet we’re sticking a microphone in front of his (Ball) face and apparently it gets ratings,” Kerr said. “I don’t know who cares, but people care. They must care or ESPN wouldn’t be spending whatever they’re spending to send reporters to Lithuania when they’re laying off people who are writing really substantial (pieces). People like Ethan Strauss and Mark Stein are getting laid off. This is not a condemnation of ESPN, it’s not. It’s a societal issue. It’s been going on for many, many years and it’s really invading the sports world.”