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Voice of the 'Fan

Presenting the world's worst stage parent

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Who in their right mind would spend up to $500 for a pair of basketball shoes?

That's the real question when it comes to stage parent and huckster LaVar Ball, whose Big Baller Brand is asking $500 for a pair of shoes that will bear his son Lonzo's name. A limited edition model goes for twice as much or better. It's easy to see that the elder Ball wants the 15 minutes of fame he never got as an athlete, but he's embarrassing his son at every turn.

Take for example a recent appearance on Colin Cowherd's FS1 show. Ball wouldn't look co-host Kristine Leahy in the eye, if but because of some critical remarks she'd made some time prior. There are fears that Lonzo won't be a lottery pick after all, and LaVar is already threatening to have his son play overseas and re-enter the draft next year if their hometown team, the Lakers, don't draft Lonzo.

All this says is that LaVar, like so many agents and parents, wants to live vicariously through Lonzo, but while some of his tactics come from the playbooks of established agents, like baseball's biggest con artist, Scott Boras, the elder Ball's antics would make even Boras blush with embarrassment. The Lakers hold the #2 pick in next month's NBA draft, and LaVar wants Lonzo on the Lakers as the heir apparent, if you will, to Kobe Bryant, who retired two years ago. I doubt very seriously Magic Johnson and the Laker brass will let LaVar's act influence them.

I wrote on my personal blog the other week that the Big Baller shoes would only create more problems for inner city kids who can't afford the shoes. Kids have gotten killed on the streets in New York, for example, because of other brands' shoes (i.e. Nike), because certain kids covet them as status symbols, yet can't afford to pay for the shoes themselves. That is to say, their parents' salaries don't leave room for such luxuries. It's time for LaVar Ball to finally wake up to reality, lower the price of the shoes to a more economically friendly standard (under $100 makes sense), and just shut up until the draft.

If LaVar Ball wants to be a big wheel in Hollywood, there's another way to go about it. Assuming, of course, they're casting for a remake of "Sanford & Son". He'd be perfect as Fred.
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Comments

  1. manthis's Avatar
    If they were
    Lebron james
    I would so that
    I could
    Well thats
    Another story

    Lol.
  2. hobbyfan's Avatar
    Care to translate?

    Anyone else have constructive commentary?
  3. JFried1029's Avatar
    Jacob- I think your comments are well put. I can't imagine spending that type of money on sneakers, especially sneakers of a player who right now has the same number of points scored in the NBA as you and me. I think Lavar is only hurting his son's future.
  4. hobbyfan's Avatar
    Lonzo Ball hasn't played a second of an NBA game, and papa is already trying to turn him into a pariah. As I wrote, Lavar is looking for his 15 minutes, and he's milking it for more than it's worth. Nobody'd heard of him until his son decided to turn pro (well, daddy made the decision for him), to tell you the truth.
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