Big Baller Brand is must-see TV

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As a lifelong sports fan, my eyes are heavily attracted to athletic excellence.


I could literally watch Serena Williams play tennis all day long and never bat an eye while doing it. The idea that one human being can be so physically superior to every, single other human in the same sport is breathtaking. I could do the same for Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer and all of the other greats in the game.

That attraction is why Tiger Woods sells tickets and will sell tickets for as long as he’s alive – even if he never is relevant in the upper echelon of golfing circles ever again.

It’s why guys like Michael Jordan and LeBron James are as popular as they are – loved by fans who live nowhere near Chicago or Cleveland where the two played.


Dominance sells. It always will.

But for me, villains do, too, which is why I’ll be watching at least 20-25 Los Angeles Lakers games next season – and probably for many, many seasons in the future.

Lonzo Ball is one heck of a basketball player.


When you combine him with his Lavar Ball, Lonzo’s outspoken lunatic father, the Big Baller Brand and everything else which comes with the father/son duo, you have must-see TV and one of the most interesting stars the NBA has seen in my lifetime.

Let’s start strictly with on-court play.

Lonzo Ball has a chance to really make a dent in the NBA hierarchy.


Ball is a big point guard, standing 6-feet, 6-inches and weighing close to 200 pounds.

With that size, Lonzo is able to see the floor easily, which makes him a big-time force in transition.

It also makes him a matchup problem because almost everyone who guards him is several inches shorter than he is, which often allows him to muscle into the paint for quick finishes and/or free throw attempts.


But more important than the size advantage is Lonzo’s selfless on-court approach, which makes him dazzling to watch, while also elevating the level of his teammates.

Lonzo is an unselfish player – one of the better passers in the game over the past several draft classes.

In transition, whoever runs the floor with him will get the ball in a position to score.


On dribble-drives, the young Laker has a really good sense for when to look to score and when to try and get others involved.

At UCLA, Ball had talented teammates, yes. The Bruins are one of the most prestigious programs in the country.

But Lonzo still averaged 7.6 assists per game, while shooting 55.1 percent from the field – numbers which are even more impressive considering that a college game is just 40 minutes, as opposed to the 48-minute games he will navigate through at the next level.


For my dollar, Lonzo Ball was the best player in college basketball in the 2016-17 season. I troll the guy on Twitter (I have Laker fan friends; it’s too easy), but I’ve been on record multiple times in stating that I would have picked him No. 1 overall in the draft.

Now, let’s talk about all of the off-court shenanigans.

I coach youth sports and I’ve coached AAU basketball.


Anyone reading this who has ever been around children’s sports can attest that this next statement is true: I’ve seen overzealous, obnoxious parents.

I’ve coached several children who have some pretty wild ones and I’ve coached against other youngsters who are in the same boat.

At high school, the drama fades a little bit, though problems still do exist.


But at the college level, it’s almost 100 percent muted. Yes, there are things which occur behind the scenes, but a lot of the drama is never made public, so the average person rarely gets to see it or hear about it.

But that’s not Lavar Ball.

For the past year, Lavar Ball has Super Dad – in some of the best and worst ways.


He’s had unrelenting support for Lonzo and has been his No. 1 fan – that’s the good support.

In bad support, Lavar has been very, very outspoken about his son’s prowess – often comparing him to the greatest players of all-time.

Because of his outspoken nature, Lavar quickly became a hot commodity. He now routinely frequents ESPN, Fox Sports One and other outlets where he can share his thoughts on his son’s career, while also chiming in on others.


It’s not often been pretty.

Lavar was accused of racism after the NCAA Tournament when he alleged that the white players on UCLA’s team had a large hand in the team’s failure to win the National Championship.

He was accused of being a sexist on The Herd when he failed to look at Kristine Leahy, calling her “evil,” then telling her to “stay in your lane.”


The father has also potty-mouthed Nike and other shoe companies during negotiations, before starting the Big Baller Brand, which markets Lonzo’s gear and which sells shoes for $500 a pop.

Lavar’s questioned LeBron James’ parenting skills.

He’s said Lonzo Ball will leap Magic Johnson and be the best point guard of all-time, saying he will do so with ease.


Every day, it’s something else.

And every day, I’m more and more glued to how the next piece of the story will unfold.

It’s not athletic dominance like Serena, Tiger, Tom Brady or MJ.


It’s a soap opera.

And goodness, I love me a good soap opera.

Carry on, Big Baller Brand.


Keep making news.

I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Lavar Ball


Follow Casey on Twitter for more. 

https://twitter.com/casey_gisclair