However, in the span of about three minutes, 16 questions were asked and answered by the former UCLA star. Most of his responses were around 10 words or less. All his responses were polite, offered with a slight smile. The 19-year-old displayed a polish rarely seen among even seasoned interview subjects – let alone among a room of teenagers on the eve of one of the biggest days of their lives.
Of course, LaVar was a popular topic.
“To tell you the truth? I don’t know,” Ball responded with a smile and a nod Wednesday, when asked how many times he had been asked about his father. “Too many times.
“I wish it was (just about basketball). But living in reality, probably not.
And there it is: Lonzo Ball’s central concern: can we separate the father’s bluster from the son’s play? Can the preternaturally talented 6-foot-6 point guard prospect, who grew up just 90 minutes from the Los Angeles Lakers’ practice facility, take the reins of a storied franchise that has struggled to its relevance in the post-Kobe Bryant era?
If he can, one thing is certain: he will do it by playing to get out of his father’s shadow.
When Ball is drafted Thursday night — and almost all NBA observers expect the Lakers to take him No. 2 overall — the focus will finally turn to what he can do on the court, and his first opportunity will be at the Summer League in Las Vegas. next month.
But the last two months, since UCLA’s season ended with a Sweet 16 loss to Kentucky, have instead been dominated by LaVar. A larger-than-life presence both physically (he stands 6-6 and 250 pounds, having spent time on the practice squads of the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers after spending a season as a reserve in Washington State as a college basketball player) and emotionally, making one wild statement after another in recent months as his son prepared to turn professional.
He claimed Lonzo was better than Stephen Curry, then said he was better than LeBron James and Russell Westbrook. LaVar said that despite his modest college statistics, he could beat Michael Jordan in a one-on-one match. He said his family’s shoe business, Big Baller Brand, will one day compete with Nike. He appeared on ESPN’s “First Take” and debated with Stephen A. Smith.
“LaVar is a household name now, basically,” said TJ Leaf, Ball’s college teammate who is also expected to be a first-round pick on Thursday, with a smile. “. . . LaVar, he’s bold, he’s going to say what he’s going to say, and people like that.
LaVar’s personality and the attention that comes with it has made many people wonder if it will impact his son once he reaches the NBA. Lonzo deflected the question on Wednesday.
“If they do it, it’s their fault,” he said. “It doesn’t really affect me.”
And, according to two talent evaluators, that has no bearing on how they view Ball’s draft.
“To some extent, the father is taken into account, but ultimately the talent/team structure wins,” one executive said.
And Lonzo’s talent is not in question. During his only season with the Bruinshe averaged 14.6 points and 7.6 assists, shooting 55.1 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from beyond the arc.
“Worst case scenario is he’s a better version of Ricky Rubio,” said another. “I really like him.”
Then there is the matter of the Big Baller brand. As most top prospects prepare for the NBA draft, they negotiate their first big shoe deal – deciding which company to sign with and then agreeing to a multi-year deal.
In Ball’s case, however, the family chose to create a shoe themselves. The shoe, the ZO2, like everything related to the Ball family, has also sparked controversy. First of all, many ridiculed it because of its $495 price tag. — although that hasn’t stopped nearly 700 pairs from being sold so far, according to industry expert Nick DePaula, although delivery isn’t expected until November.
The second was that Lonzo he didn’t wear these shoes during his first Lakers practicewearing a pair of James Harden’s Adidas shoes instead.
Ball rejected this Wednesday. “I wore them for the second one,” he said. “I’m just trying to show people that when you have your own brand, you can do pretty much whatever you want.”
“From a big picture perspective, it’s completely unprecedented and extremely exciting to see the structure that they’re trying to put in place here by launching their own family brand,” DePaula said. “. . . LaVar is no stranger to trying to make exaggerated statements and proclamations, but if (Lonzo) walks through the door… . . and difficulties at all, this puts the brand in a sort of limbo and could make it difficult for the brand in the future.
Not to mention the player. But those issues will take a backseat when Lonzo walks across the stage at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center and shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after, as expected, he was picked by the Lakers.
All outside noise will begin to fade away. And Lonzo Ball will have the chance to show everyone exactly what it’s all about.
The only thing he’s sure of is that he won’t feel any pressure, despite all the attention being paid to him for so many other reasons. After all, it’s just basketball — a lesson Ball said, for all his father’s bluster, LaVar taught his son from a young age.
“My dad put it on me when I was younger,” Ball said. “He always told me, ‘Basketball is a game.’ It’s supposed to be fun. That’s not the pressure. He comes home with the lights off and there is no food on the table. It’s a pressure for me.
“Playing basketball is no pressure.”
For Lonzo Ball, the focus has been on everything but basketball for months. Thursday evening, that will finally start to change.
