There has been much conversation in the pre-draft process on LaMelo Ball and his potential fit with the Warriors. Positioned at the No. 2 spot in the draft, Golden State will almost certainly have a big decision to make as to whether to draft Ball.
While the Warriors have made their position on the made more or less known through various reports, Ball’s side of the story hasn’t had nearly as much talk. One of the only notable moments from Ball actually came from his father, LaVar, who said he was a bad fit in Golden State.
LaMelo’s response came in the form of a quote tweet of an article that simply said “yo chill” before it was quickly deleted. Since, LaMelo has gone radio silent on the matter until he was questioned about the situation during his media availability for the 2020 NBA Draft Combine on Monday.
LaMelo Ball on LaVar's comments that he's a bad fit with the Warriors: "I'm my own man, he's his own man. He has his opinions, I have mine."
— Sean Highkin (@highkin) September 28, 2020
LaMelo Ball (@MELOD1P) on LaVar's comment that the Warriors aren't a good fit for him: "He's his own man. He has his opinions and I have mine. I feel like I can play and fit on any team."
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) September 28, 2020
These quotes are very similar to ones Lonzo has given in recent months and years as he’s made multiple decisions that separate him from the family. Lonzo and LaVar’s rift stemmed largely from the Alan Foster situation. Recently, Lonzo commented on the rift that occurred and used very similar words.
“….I think coming into the league, he was very controlling of everything that was going on. But that was an 18-, 19-year-old kid. But now I am 22 years old with my own family. Seeing how he watched over me and stuff — it was time for him to finally let go of everything and watch me be my own man.”
Both brothers seem to be clearly distancing themselves from their father and his outlandishness, which is likely a smart move going forward. But unlike Lonzo, LaMelo is putting that distance between him and his father prior to entering the NBA, which could be ease some worries team may have and make him a more attractive prospect to draft.
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