This column reflects the opinion of the writer and does not in any way reflect the views of The Stanford Daily.
On June 22, a little after 7 p.m. E.T., the rags-to-riches saga of the Ball family will reach its first big payday: LaVar’s oldest boy, Lonzo, will be one of the top picks in the NBA draft and will sign a contract worth more than $4 million per year. This father that sports fans love to hate is living the American dream, and his ride only goes up from here.
LaVar Ball was a star basketball player himself in the lower college ranks, and ultimately transferred to play a season for Washington State in the Pac-10. After his basketball career ended with no prospects of an NBA contract, LaVar opted to sign with the NFL’s New York Jets.
“I think he was one of the first guys that they were doing that experiment with, trying to move a basketball player to tight end,” said former teammate Michael Titley. “If he’d had a couple opportunities and some more time, I think he could have made something of himself football-wise.”
After a couple seasons riding the pine, LaVar retired from professional sports. He married his college sweetheart, Tina, and settled in the sleepy town of Chino Hills, California. The couple would be blessed with three sons: Lonzo, LiAngelo, and LaMelo.
LaVar’s boys were all gifted athletes from an early age, and the proud father pushed them to become the best athletes they could be. They eagerly took to his workout regime, one he’d perfected in his youth with his four brothers. The siblings did their homework, lifted weights, studied game film and waged fierce one-on-one matches nightly on the court behind their house.
While other talented young players were traveling great distances to join expensive AAU teams, the Ball boys stayed local and played for their father. LaVar didn’t want his kids to have things easy by playing alongside all of the best players, and instead focused on individual skill development and winning with the players in Chino Hills, a town with no basketball history.
By the time Lonzo was a senior in high school, those Chino Hills teams featured all three Ball brothers and were on their way to a first-place national ranking. Those family workouts had expanded, with LaVar now offering coaching sessions to other young players in the community. One of those players was Eli Scott, who says his basketball scholarship to Loyola Marymount would never have come without the coaching and attention he received from Coach Ball.
Lonzo is just two months away from establishing himself as a professional athlete, and LiAngelo and LaMelo have both committed to follow in his footsteps and play for the UCLA Bruins. With so much buzz around the brothers, LaVar has become a lightning rod for the mainstream sports media. Many sports commentators and journalists have called him a “bad sports parent” and think he is exploiting his boys for his personal gain. In my opinion, these commentators and journalists are viewing the situation incorrectly.
LaVar has selflessly given the last 15 years to coaching his sons and other young players from Chino Hills. He forewent so many things in his own life to pour more of his time into his boys and help them reach their dreams. Each of his three sons has a genuine love for the game of basketball; this is not a Marv Marinovich tale, and his boys are no robo-ballers.
LaVar established the Big Baller Brand, the official brand of the Ball family. This has drawn further criticism for being exploitative of his children’s success, particularly since two of his boys are still amateur players. However, UCLA, the Pac-12 and the NCAA all sit to profit greatly from the boys, money that will never trickle down to them. The brand also sits to profit greatly from the boys, but its reputation and potential earnings await them at the other end of their amateurism. They’re simply getting the piece of the pie that’s rightfully theirs.
Sure, the Ball patriarch has made some outlandish statements about himself and his boys. Few of us believe Lonzo is currently better than Steph Curry, or that LaVar could defeat Michael Jordan in one-on-one. But with each word of his that reaches ESPN or Bleacher Report or Fox Sports (or The Stanford Daily), the Big Baller Brand becomes increasingly valuable. LaVar is a shrewd businessman, looking after his boys as he has for nearly two decades.
The money that’s coming from this publicity is nice, but first and foremost, this is about the development of his sons, and it always has been. LiAngelo is considered just a three-star recruit, a ranking that seldom converts into an NBA future. Despite the lower expected ROI, LaVar puts just as much time and coaching into his middle son; LaVar loves all his boys equally.
With Lonzo two months away from his first NBA contract and assorted high-value endorsement deals, the hard work and sacrifices will pay off immensely. LaVar will be in the front row for Lonzo’s Staples Center debut, trademark smile on his face, watching as the little boy who loved basketball so much walks alongside the greats of the game. And then he’ll drive across town and sit with LaMelo as they watch LiAngelo run and gun in Pauley Pavilion.
LaVar and his boys are the American dream.
Contact Grant Avalon at gavalon ‘at’ stanford.edu to check out his collection of all Big Baller Brand items, including his favorite “BBB” inscribed beanie.