When Lonzo Ball was drafted with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, it was only a matter of time until his father LaVar said something controversial.
LaVar spiced it up a little bit and made a bold prediction on live television to ESPN’s Jeff Goodman.
"Lonzo Ball is going to take the Lakers to the playoffs in his first year,” he said.
Clearly in rebuilding mode, the Lakers have missed the playoffs in four straight seasons and finished last year with a dismal 26-56 record. However, LaVar sees his son as the team’s savior.
"That's the goal. You don't play to lose. That's definitely the goal. That's the plan,” Lonzo said when asked about his dad’s proclamation.
Since news travels in seconds nowadays, Lakers head coach Luke Walton found out about LaVar’s comments quickly. When asked to respond at the Lakers’ draft party at their practice facility, Walton downplayed the prediction, saying “I'm a very optimistic person, but I don't look that far into the future. Right now, I'm hoping [Lonzo] leads us to a couple summer league victories, and we'll take it from there.”
Walton also revealed that he expects LaVar’s comments will add pressure towards Lonzo in his rookie season.
"I think it will make it more challenging, a little bit, but I think every top draft pick that comes in has a target on their back," Walton explained. "The best players in this league want to set the tone with these young players early, to let them know what it's like here. I know when I was a young player, I had a target on my back from my own teammates because of things my dad [NBA great Bill Walton] said, but it ended up working out.”
Therefore, it seems as though Lonzo and his new coach have a bit in common.
"What's incredible is that he's been, according to [Lonzo], his dad has been great. He's always been there. He's supported him. He obviously loves him and that's what you want out of a father, so I'm not overly concerned by it,” Walton admitted.
The Lakers coach is also not the least bit concerned about LaVar becoming a distraction to the organization.
"He's his own man," Walton said. "He's going to do what he does and we're going to do what we do and we're going to get after it here. We're not going to change anything. I'm sure [Lonzo will] fit into our culture. He'll help improve our culture with the way he plays, the way he passes, his selfless nature, and that's why we took him.”
Ball averaged 14.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 7.6 assists in 35.1 minutes during his one-and-done rookie season at UCLA. He also shot 55.1 percent from the floor, including 41.2 percent from three-point range while establishing himself as one of the top prospects in the draft, despite his father’s antics off the court.
Since Los Angeles traded incumbent point guard D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets in part of a deal for center Brook Lopez before the draft, it freed up an opening for Ball to enter and play major minutes as the Lakers’ point guard of the future.
As always, his dad will remain a major part of his journey though, for better or for worse.