LaMelo Ball came into the NBA with a lot of hype surrounding him. Up to this point he has mostly exceeded expectations.
Earlier this year he made the sort of history that even caught LeBron James’ attention. Aside from getting into a weird physical altercation with teammate Bismack Biyombo, it has been relatively smooth sailing.
The one red flag everyone had about LaMelo, however, didn’t involve him – it involved his father LaVar.
LaVar is a perpetual whiner and complainer, and the pattern continued this week when he blasted the Charlotte Hornets for not inserting LaMelo into the starting lineup.
“My thing is he ain’t happy with that, but he ain’t go show that,” Ball told TMZ.
“If I train you to be the best and always been starting all your life — here is what they don’t get. My boys are not freakin’ role players. They superstars. Let them do what they do. But, if your mentality ain’t like that, guess what? It’s hard to coach my boys and tap into the best because you don’t have a killer mindset.”
Kevin Durant and LeBron kept it real. https://t.co/qZ0SwQKaPz
— Game 7 (@game7__) January 22, 2021
This isn’t the first time LaVar has complained about LaMelo not being a starter. He did the same thing a month ago.
LaMelo is currently coming off the bench behind Devonte’ Graham and Terry Rozier, both of whom are having better years than him.
Meanwhile, coming off the bench is suiting him perfectly. Through 15 games this season, LaMelo is averaging 11.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 5.9 assists through 24.6 minutes of action per outing.
It’s easy to see why McKayla Maroney’s newest video went viral. https://t.co/PtbWaRdjal
— Game 7 (@game7__) January 21, 2021
Teammate Gordon Hayward just this week gave a very honest assessment of LaMelo’s play and his role on the Hornets roster that everyone can agree with.
If LaVar were to just shut up and let his son do work, LaMelo would probably end up starting sooner rather than later. With all of LaVar’s chirping, though – it wouldn’t be shocking to see this situation suddenly become much more messy than it has any need to be.
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Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
