LaVar Ball's 15 minutes of fame as the outspoken father of UCLA star Lonzo Ball and UCLA-bound brothers LiAngelo and LaMelo have been controversial, to say the least. The father has gone so far as proclaiming Lonzo as the better option between he and two-time NBA MVP winner Steph Curry. But his brags have also unfairly given Lonzo Ball a bad reputation, according to his UCLA teammate Bryce Alford who spoke out on Monday.
"It's just an unfair thing for Lonzo just because I think he gets a rep he doesn't deserve. And I don't want to say anything poorly against LaVar, I think he's done a good job of getting him ready to be where he's at and he's helped him become a great basketball player. So, I don't want to say anything that way, but he does get a persona that's just totally not him. He's an absolutely great kid, great teammate and truly cares about what his teammates are doing more so than himself. So if anything, I hope NBA people can see that."
Regardless of whether you think LaVar Ball has crossed a line, his impact on his son is viewed is undeniable. Although Lonzo is a soft-spoken and "absolutely great kid," as Alford put it, he'll likely enter the NBA with critics at least in part because of his father.
Lonzo is a projected top-five pick in the NBA Draft, which takes place June 22. He and Alford spent one season as teammates at UCLA in 2016-17 where the Bruins (31-5) lost to Kentucky in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
