Category: LaVar Ball

LaVar, Lonzo, LaMelo Ball react to LiAngelo signing with Detroit Pistons

LaVar, Lonzo and LaMelo Ball all took to social media to react to LiAngelo signing a one-year, Exhibit 10 deal with the Detroit PIstons.

LiAngelo Ball shocked many around the NBA sphere on Wednesday afternoon by agreeing to a deal with the Detroit Pistons. Ball’s deal is a one-year, non-guaranteed, Exhibit 10 deal that largely operates as a training camp invite with an incentive to sign with the Pistons’ G League franchise when he is waived.

Nonetheless, Ball’s deal means all three of the Ball brothers have signed an NBA contract, another landmark moment for the Ball family. Despite his brashness and abrasiveness, LaVar ultimately saw his end goal reached as each oA, though not on the path he originally promised.

LaVar took to Twitter to show his excitement at the move while also stating that the family isn’t done yet.

Lonzo also immediately responded to the news on Twitter, channeling his inner Joel Embiid.

LaMelo’s reaction came on his Instagram story where he shared a series of pictures and posts.

As noted, LiAngelo will likely ultimately land on the Pistons’ G League affiliate, Grand Rapid Drive, a similar landing spot to where he closed last season. But that doesn’t change the accomplishment the team has made

LaVar Ball says Big Baller Brand will not collaborate with Puma, Jordan Brand

Despite losing both his sons from the brand, LaVar Ball is not eyeing any potential collaborations with Puma or Jordan Brand in the future.

LaVar Ball’s floundering Big Baller Brand is entering a new phase as a brand, but don’t expect that to mean he’s open to outside help. Despite LaMelo leaving for Puma and Lonzo eyeing either a deal with another brand or potentially starting his own line, LaVar still remains stubborn in his ways.

While on the Shay Shay Club podcast with Shannon Sharpe, Ball was asked about a pair of potential collaborations with Puma, where LaMelo signed, or Jordan Brand, with Michael Jordan having just drafted LaMelo. Ball vehemently shot down the idea of any partnership.

“Am I going to collab with Brand Jordan? No. I was going to do a collab before but I was like ‘Nah.’ I like to own my stuff. What I mean by that is, when you have a collab, this is what happens: you have to agree and I have to agree. Right now, it’s just about what Big Baller want, what he like and I don’t have to collab. I was going to think about doing that with Puma or something and I got to thinking ‘You know what? I don’t want to collab now. I just want to keep my own thing.’ It’s a privately owned company. I don’t have no sayso with nobody. Investors try to come at me and I say no. I’m my own dude.”

Previously, Ball had hinted at a potential collaboration with Puma. Presently, there has been no rumor that has even suggested Puma is interested in a collaboration. The brand did release a collaboration with LaMelo, a potential precursor to him getting his own line in the future.

As for Jordan Brand, a partnership would be even less likely given the reputation of the brand and how fledgling Big Baller Brand appears to be in contrast at the moment.

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WATCH: LaVar Ball opens up about relationship with wife Tina before and after stroke

LaVar Ball offered a glimpse at his relationship with Tina on Sunday’s episode of “Ball in the Family” and opened up about life after her stroke.

Most people are the globe view LaVar Ball as a bombastic man who says what’s on his mind with hardly any filter and with little care as to the consequences of his words. That image is no coincidence as it’s been crafted that way intentionally by Ball.

As controversial as he may be, from a business perspective, Ball’s carefully crafted image has led to him and his family being set financially for the rest of their lives and onward.

In rare instances though, Ball peels back the curtain to show a side of him that is rawer and less crafted for the camera. Typically, those moments involve his wife Tina in some capacity. As was the case in Sunday’s episode of “Ball in the Family” where LaVar revealed the freshly-built park in the backyard of their house that would allow Tina to continue rehab during the pandemic.

While the park itself was a surprise that’s final product had been kept from Tina, LaVar had a more romantic surprise on top of it. In a throwback to a tradition they had as younger kids, LaVar had In-N-Out waiting for them for a picnic in the park.

LaVar then reflected on his life with Tina and how far the couple had come since the times they used to spend in the park eating In-N-Out.

One of the quotes that sticks out the most is how LaVar refers to Tina’s stroke as something that wasn’t a down. Naturally, Tina’s stroke has been tough on all the family, Lonzo included, but the fact LaVar can keep such an upbeat look at the situation does help the numerous mental challenges that have and will continue to come up for the family.

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LaVar Ball picks Michael Jordan as greatest ever player over LeBron James

Regardless of the future of the one-on-one game between them, LaVar Ball isn’t picking against Michael Jordan as his personal GOAT.

Regardless of the future of the one-on-one game between them, LaVar Ball isn’t picking against Michael Jordan. In a rare moment spent speaking highly of Jordan and not stating how he’d lose in a game of one-on-one, Ball was asked to pick between Jordan and LeBron James for his greatest of all time by Shannon Sharpe on the Shay Shay Club podcast.

“…The greatest of all-time, how do you measure that? You measure by your victories and what you did in those victories. I ain’t talking about you got 12 rings and been on five different teams. I’m talking about a dude who went to the Finals and was the main guy six times in a row. When you have losses on your record, you can’t be the greatest of all-time. That dude ain’t got no losses in the Finals so it’s always going to be Michael Jordan until my boys succeed that, which is going to happen.”

Even with his little quip of the always-present self-confidence at the end, Ball does at least provide some common reasoning for his selection, even if it’s flawed. By not even getting to the Finals before losing, Jordan has somehow gained an edge over James, who made multiple Finals trips before losing.

That being said, in the same interview, Ball stated the Lakers owe him a Thank You card after winning the Finals and gave an update on the 1-on-1 match-up with Jordan, which now includes a hefty price tag. So, maybe there shouldn’t be so much stock placed on his thoughts in this pod.

LaVar Ball says Lakers owe him a Thank You card after winning NBA title

Any hope of LaVar Ball admitting he was wrong about the Lakers never winning a title again was quickly dashed by the Big Baller.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ title inside the bubble in the NBA’s restart in Orlando not only sealed the franchise’s 17th title, it also proved LaVar Ball wrong. LaVar memorably declared the Lakers would not win a title again after trading away his son Lonzo, a statement that was proven wrong within one season.

And if anyone expected LaVar to backtrack on his statement, they were sorely wrong. On his appearance on Club Shay Shay with Shannon Sharpe, Ball was asked about his comments, the Lakers winning the title and if he was impressed.

“Heck no. They in the bubble. They’re in the bubble and all this stuff goes right. Like I told them, they need to send me a Thank You card on the fact that I gave incentive to win. I said they’d never ever, ever, ever win. You know they was talking about that the whole year. What did you say last year that somebody remembers? That’s how I be living in people’s heads…just so they can say ‘I told you that you was wrong.’ I still go to bed, take me a nap, eat my donuts and I don’t think about nothing. They’ve been thinking about this for a whole year.”

Ball did later add in the post that he was still a Lakers fan because he grew up in California, but his compliments could only go so far.

“I’m glad they won. Lakers is always my team because I’m from LA. But the success that they had, I mean you’re in the bubble playing in the same place. You’ve got the two best players. You’re supposed to win.”

LaVar is rarely one to admit he was wrong even in blatantly obvious situations where he is wrong. But it’s part of what makes LaVar the character people can’t get enough of.

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LaVar Ball says he’ll play Michael Jordan 1-on-1 on pay-per-view for $200 million

LaVar Ball confirmed he is still open to playing Michael Jordan 1-on-1, but only for a hefty, hefty price of $200 million.

[jwplayer veYNNolr-z6KDnl0B]

Many have been waiting on LaVar Ball’s response to the possibility that a 1-on-1 match-up with Michael Jordan is as real as ever. With LaMelo Ball being drafted to the Jordan-owned Hornets, there is now a direct link between the Big Baller and arguably basketball’s greatest player of all-time.

On Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast on Wednesday, Ball was asked about the 1-on-1 game he once said he would win. While Ball said he’d do it, he also put a steep, steep price on the showdown.

“Well if you’re waiting for it, hurry up and get in touch with pay per view because me and Mike ain’t playing for less than $200 million. That’s what we say. If you’re going to watch Mike Tyson at 50, you’re going to watch me and MJ play just 1-on-1 for pay per view only. And it better be over $200 million…If the people in the world want to see that 1-on-1, they going to have to pay a price. From the greatest of all-time to the coldest of all-time. Triple B’s baby!”

This isn’t the first time Ball has pulled out astronomical figures as prices. In the early stages of Big Baller Brand, Ball placed a $1 billion price tag for shoe deals to land his three sons.

In his introductory presser, LaMelo Ball was posed a similar question about his father squaring off with Jordan. Ball was rather diplomatic with his answer, stating he couldn’t pick a side but also said “we’d know how it’d turn out.”

Money always talks but it’s hard to see anyone paying $200 million for this spectacle, and that’s working under the assumption that Jordan would sign off on it. But he could also be enticed by the opportunity to embarrass LaVar while making a couple hundred million at the same time. Who wouldn’t tune in to Jordan destroying Ball’s livelihood on the court?

LaMelo Ball sides with Michael Jordan in potential 1-on-1 game with LaVar Ball

While LaVar Ball has maintained that he could beat Michael Jordan in a game of one-on-one, LaMelo Ball is siding with his new boss.

From the moment LaMelo Ball became a Charlotte Hornet in the 2020 NBA Draft, fans immediately harkened back to his father’s infamous comments about Hornets owner Michael Jordan. When LaVar first burst onto the scene, he made plenty of headlines by proclaiming that he could be Jordan in a game of one-on-one.

Fast forward to Wednesday and suddenly the possibility of that match-up, which will almost certainly never happen, was more real than it has been. LaVar had long maintained that he would still beat Jordan, but a diplomatic LaMelo was not ready to go that far when asked about the 1-on-1 duel during his introductory press conference on Friday.

“I don’t think it’s going to happen,” Ball said with a grin. “And we know how it’d turn out to be honest. But I mean that is my pops and my boss so I’m on both sides now.”

In a piece for ESPN on draft night with the Ball family, Tim Keown did ask LaVar about the topic of the Jordan showdown and, not surprisingly, the Big Baller did back off his claim a bit.

LaVar tells me the world might finally get to see that one-on-one, but first he has to discuss the business side with Jordan: pay-per-view, guaranteed money, that kind of thing. He laughs and says, “Hey, if people are willing to pay to see 50-year-old Mike Tyson fight, why not?” He likes the idea of Jordan guiding his son. “Greatness recognizes greatness,” he says. “I always told my boys, ‘Someone has to be better than the best — why not you?'”

Obviously, the reality is that this match-up will never happen. It is a playful storyline that has led to some funny moments both prior to and after LaMelo landing in Charlotte. And, as LaMelo said, we all know how it’d end.

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WATCH: LaVar Ball’s explosive reaction to LaMelo Ball signing with Puma

While he’s put on a nice face publicly, LaVar Ball’s reaction to LaMelo signing with Puma was far more angry, emotional and expletive-laden.

While LaVar Ball has put on a nice face for the public, behind the scenes, his reaction to his youngest son LaMelo Ball signing with Puma was a far different one. This fall, LaMelo Ball joined Puma, officially leaving behind Big Baller Brand after largely separating himself from the company for the last year.

Publicly, LaVar has said many of the right things, showing support for his son and keeping the door open for him to come back to Big Baller Brand in the future. But that wasn’t the first reaction he had. Last week, the family’s Facebook television show “Ball in the Family” teased LaVar’s reaction to LaMelo signing with Puma and this week’s episode showed the whole explosive rant from LaVar.

(Warning: NSFW language)

Here’s a full transcript of Ball’s reaction:

“Everybody’s stuck on this. They want me to be mad because LaMelo signed with Puma. I don’t want the narrative to be I’m against my boy. And he’s 19 now so he’s going to do [expletive] his own way. Just like the [expletive] told me ‘[expletive] you, I’m going to do it my own way.’ He doesn’t see the freedom that he has. It’s a [expletive] Puma shoe. That [expletive] don’t say LaMelo Ball on it.”

[jump to monolgoue with producer]

Producer: “Do you agree with Melo’s decision?”

LaVar: “Oh no. Definitely not because, look, I’ve been priming my boys from day one. ‘Don’t sign no endorsement deal. Don’t do that because they going to own you.'”

Prior to his rant, the show alluded to the possibility that LaVar did not know LaMelo was going to sign with Puma prior to seeing the announcement himself. A producer asked LaVar if LaMelo had given him a heads up but the scene cut away before LaVar gave an answer. Given his reaction, though, it certainly doesn’t appear he was aware that LaMelo would be joining Puma.

While he doesn’t have the ownership that LaVar discusses, LaMelo’s deal with the company did reportedly come in at over $100 million as well as the ability to use the company’s private jet as well. There is also a possibility in the future that LaMelo could have his own signature shoe and clothing line within the Puma brand.

LiAngelo Ball says LaVar is ‘more calm now’ as sons have grown up

After coming onto the scene as a loud, bombastic personality, LaVar Ball has calmed in recent years as his sons have accomplished their goals.

When LaVar Ball burst onto the scene many years ago, he did so as a bombastic father who had set a path for his sons to stardom. Fast forward to present day and his plan has nearly come to fruition. Lonzo has secured a spot in the NBA and LaMelo is days away from doing the same with both two of the more popular players in the league. While LiAngelo hasn’t secured that stardom, he did secure a place on an NBA G League team last year before the season came to an end abruptly due to COVID-19.

A mixture of his sons achieving their goals and old age mellowing him out has led to a more reserved version of LaVar Ball as a result. While he is still capable of loud outbursts, they are far less frequent. LiAngelo recently talked about his dad in a profile on the family for Sports Illustrated and his more reserved style in recent months and years.

“…[he’s] more calm now. He’ll give us the right advice and he’ll let us do what we want with it. He understands that we’re all grown up now.”

There have been recent examples of a more mellow LaVar, particularly in his response to Lonzo Ball leaving Big Baller Brand and LaMelo Ball joining Puma. That being said, there’s also been examples of the older, louder version of Ball like in the recent clip from “Ball in the Family.”

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WATCH: LaVar Ball reacts to LaMelo Ball’s decision to sign with Puma

LaVar Ball’s public reaction to LaMelo signing with Puma was a reserved one but his first reaction appears to have been more emotional.

LaMelo Ball’s decision to sign with Puma came as a bit of a shock when it was first reported due in large part to its suddenness. There was little warning that LaMelo was actively looking to leave Big Baller Brand and join an established brand, even if the writing had largely been written on the wall.

Many waited for LaVar’s reaction to LaMelo leaving the family company for a big payday elsewhere. To his credit, his first public comments on the matter roughly a week after the report of LaMelo leaving was a cordial one in which he acknowledged his son had a decision to leave while else keeping the door open for the future.

However, that measured reaction may not have been his initial reaction. At the end of Sunday’s episode of “Ball in the Family,” a preview for next week’s episode appeared to show Ball’s reaction to LaMelo leaving for Puma.

LaMelo hasn’t been featured on this season of the family’s series, though that is because he has been preparing for the draft in Detroit, the hometown of his manager Jermaine Jackson. His unavailability, though, makes LaVar’s reaction all the more interesting as it makes it seem as though LaMelo made the decision without consulting his father.

Next week’s episode certainly should shed some more light on the matter, but for now, it appears like the correct answer for Ball was leaving the company as Puma has already seen a sales increase to go along with Ball potentially having his own line in the future.

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