Lonzo Ball’s tenure in Los Angeles featured as many injuries as it did bright moments. Ball played in 99 games and missed 65 due to injury through two years in purple and gold. Unsurprisingly, LaVar Ball was an open and constant critic of the Lakers’ handling of Ball’s injuries at the time.
Now in New Orleans, Ball overcame early-season injuries yet again to piece together his strongest and healthiest stretch of his brief career. LaVar has taken that opportunity to criticize the Lakers once more.
During an interview with Heavy, LaVar was asked about the dynamic between Lonzo and Zion Williamson. Fittingly, he used that time to briefly answer the question before going off on his own tangent, calling out the Lakers in the process.
“Lonzo can play with anybody. Everybody saying that it’s his special gift. He makes everybody around him special. As long as you have confidence and you have the coach’s respect. Let Lonzo do what he does. And now that he’s super successful, everybody’s like, Oh! But the thing is he’s been doing that since the first day in training. All that he was doing over there with the Lakers. That wasn’t no training. He was hurt.
Now he’s not hurt and he can perform like he always do. When you’re practicing and training the right way and you show confidence in your game and people let you do what you’re supposed to do, that’s all it’s about man. You’re going to be very successful.”
In reality, Lonzo’s injury woes in Los Angeles had more to do with bad luck than bad management. For example, Lonzo’s season-ending injury in the 2018-19 season came after landing on the foot of an opponent, severely twisting his ankle. Nothing the Lakers did before that date could have stopped Ball’s ankle from twisting in that scenario.
LaVar, though, has continually blamed the Lakers for Lonzo’s injuries. In reality, young players often battle through bumps, bruises and physical setbacks in their first years in the league as their bodies adapt to playing against NBA players in an NBA schedule. Lonzo has bulked up physically and looks to have adapted his body to the NBA.
LaVar, though, will likely continue blaming the Lakers as he’s made his feelings known on what he thinks of the Los Angeles-based franchise.
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