IT’S been a while since we heard a peep out of LaVar Ball around Laker land.
If you haven’t noticed, that’s the point.
The outspoken, erratic father of Lonzo Ball used to be the talk of the Lakers franchise. Some called it a distraction, while others saw it as entertainment. His brash personality made him like a WWE heel, where he’d be happy to stand in front of the cameras and say one outrageous thing after another.
But that’s stopped, and all signs point to LeBron James as the reason why.
Ever since James — the best player on the planet, and the NBA’s most famous athlete — signed with the Lakers, Ball has effectively been in hiding.
Before the Lakers signed James, the team tried to put a ban on media outlets interviewing him, but that didn’t work out. On a recent episode of the Dan Patrick Show, the Los Angeles Times’ Bill Plaschke explained why it didn’t work, and why James’ presence means a lot.
