LaVar Ball’s recent comments about Luke Walton apparently didn’t make that much of a splash with the Los Angeles Lakers.
With the Lakers mired in a nine-game losing streak, the outspoken father of Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball claimed Saturday in an interview with ESPN’s Jeff Goodman that the Lakers don’t want to play for Walton.
The elder Ball’s criticism merely annoyed Walton because it was a source of distraction, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported Monday, citing sources close to the Lakers’ 37-year-old second-year coach. Furthermore, Ball’s comments reportedly didn’t cause Walton to fear for his job.
The media jumped on Ball’s comments about Walton, who addressed the issue Sunday with a hilarious retort following the Lakers’ win over the Atlanta Hawks.
Lonzo Ball’s response to his father’s comments was more cryptic than Walton’s, as the Lakers rookie told reporters he’s willing to “play for anyone.”
While some puzzled over Ball’s non-answer, a source close to the UCLA product told Shelburne “he’s more concerned with establishing himself in the league and helping the team get out of its recent funk than wading into a controversy between his dad and the coach.”
Stepping out of the firing line that is the public spat between Ball’s parent and boss probably is one of the smartest plays the 20-year-old has made in his first year in the NBA.
