LaVar Ball is willing to stick up for his son, Lonzo, even after an indefensible performance.
The elder Ball blasted Patrick Beverley in an interview with ESPN on Thursday night after the Los Angeles Clippers point guard appeared to relish spoiling Lonzo Ball’s NBA debut. Lonzo Ball scored just three points and had nine rebounds and four assists in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 108-92 loss to the Clippers. Beverley’s tenacious defense and mind games were key factors in Ball’s muted display.
Afterward, Beverly shouted “Weak a– m—–f—–. Bring him out on the court with me and I will tear his a– up,” as he walked off the court and into the locker room, according to ESPN. Beverly later told reporters why he was so tough on Lonzo Ball.
LaVar Ball fired back at Beverley at the first opportunity.
“Yeah, you shut the m—–f—– down,” he said. “And your check still ain’t going to go no higher than what it is. Yeah, you shut him down. OK … Who is Patrick Beverley? He played all last year and nobody said nothing about him. Now we are looking at your first game. Why? Because Lonzo’s name is attached to it.
“So you got to be (all hard). Let’s see what you do the next five games, if you are going to be pumped up toward everybody like that and go back to your 0-for-5 shooting and your two or three rebounds. Nobody is going to care about you. But you put my son’s name in it, and you put my name in it, now you got some action and you got some people talking.”
Ball claims Beverley tried to stare him down at one point in the game.
“You ain’t got to say it by name because I saw the way he looked at me when he was on the side of the bench,” Ball said. “He was going to see if I can get eye contact. I just looked at him like I looked right past him because he’s nobody. You talking to Big Baller.
“One game. OK, you still don’t have your own shoe, you are still not your own boss. I know why you are looking at me. And you want to tell me that I got your son! Well I got two more you can try to get some of, too. They will be here, don’t worry about it. I don’t worry about one game.”
Let’s hope LaVar Ball didn’t use up all his verbal ammunition after this one game. He might need more of it this season and beyond.
Thumbnail photo via Kelvin Kuo/USA TODAY Sports Images
