LaVar Ball was one proud papa on draft night. As expected, the Lakers selected his son Lonzo Ball with the No. 2 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, keeping the UCLA star close to home for the start of his NBA career.
Lonzo will have his work cut out, taking over as point guard on a young team that had the third-worst record in the NBA last season. But that didn’t stop LaVar from making a big guarantee to ESPN’s Jeff Goodman: the Lakers will make the playoffs next season.
But remember: this is LaVar Ball. So guaranteeing a Lakers playoff berth was far form his most outrageous claim of the night. Prior to the draft, LaVar also told Goodman he got word from Zeus and Jesus that Lonzo would be a Laker.
We’ve already heard everyone from NBA players to talking heads speculate that LaVar’s big mouth could make Lonzo’s first year in the NBA pretty rough. But at least for now, players are just focusing on lampooning LaVar.
70% RT @pdpatt: What's the chances Lavar Ball walks on stage with his son to shake the commissioner's hand? #NBAdraft2017
— Eric Bledsoe (@EBled2) June 22, 2017
Crazy pills
— Ben Simmons (@BenSimmons25) June 22, 2017
Please dunk on him so hard that his daddy runs on the court to save him.. https://t.co/cMvt5RYiSQ
— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) June 22, 2017
Sounds like the first Sixers-Lakers matchup of the 2017-18 season could get entertaining.
[ESPN]
