I feel bad writing this, but I kind of want Lonzo Ball to succeed in the NBA. Yeah, I know his father is a deranged megalomaniac who can’t seem to go a day without pissing someone else off. Lonzo is too fun to watch though. He doesn’t play like his dad talks. He is a terrific passer, he rebounds the ball and works on defense, he isn’t super athletic, and, while he isn’t afraid to shoot, he doesn’t force many bad shots. While he’s pretty good, his game doesn’t fit the LaVar blabbering.
However, even though Lonzo is a promising rookie basketball player, his reputation and following is extremely polarized, especially for someone who on his own shouldn’t be controversial. Yes, Lonzo has his problems. He is flashy with his shoes and his cars, he sometimes has a quiet arrogance that you can’t quite make out over the din of LaVar’s boasts, and he thinks he’s a great rapper (in case you were wondering, he’s not). None of that is exceptional, though. Plenty of other rookies act similarly and don’t get trashed for it. The ire for Lonzo is on another level of hate. And it’s because of the way sports discussions work today.
Social media, the pervasiveness of hot takes and the great demon spawn that is the Internet (how’s that for a hot take) have made it easier than ever to hate, publicly and loudly. Just as LaVar has continued to build the Big Baller Brand through his Facebook-streamed reality TV show, millions of people have easily accessed these online public spaces to snap back at him. Lonzo can’t escape the ire of those people. Check his name on Twitter or Facebook, and you’ll find thousands of comments instantly, each with a strong opinion. He is caught up in a storm of polarized public opinion that he played virtually no role in making. Now, he benefits from this reality, too. He gets way more attention than he would otherwise, thereby making his brand more profitable than perhaps it should be. It’s all part of LaVar’s plan. As it turns out, if you’re gonna hate on the Ball family, you’re giving LaVar what he wants. Still, even if the Big Baller Brand loves the hate, I don’t. I think the gaping chasm between Lonzo fans and haters makes it hard for everyone to appreciate his game.
It’s no surprise that the conversation around the Ball family is so polarized. You have to love them or hate them, and nothing they do can change your opinion. You see, LaVar Ball is the Donald Trump of basketball. Only, instead of utilizing his ego and grandiose claims to attract voters, he uses those same traits to ignite the media interest in his sons and his Big Baller Brand. But, LaVar has something that Trump does not. The thing he has been bragging about most, his son, could actually prove him right. Lonzo probably won’t ever be a superduperstar like Steph or LeBron (as LaVar says he will), but it’s not crazy to think he could be an all-star or win a championship. This truth is what separates LaVar and the Donald. With Trump, I’d be shocked if the border wall actually gets built or if Obamacare is ever actually replaced.
Ultimately, I just want to watch Lonzo play. I want to see him sling crosscourt passes to open shooters, bounce drop offs to his rolling big man and every once in a while jut his right leg out for that step back with the broken-arm release and watch it zip through the net. I also want the Lakers to lose because I don’t like them. But that’s besides the point.
Contact Jack Golub at golubj ‘at’ stanford.edu.