UCLA freshman star point guard Lonzo Ball’s father LaVar is back in headlines after confidently stating Wednesday night that his son should be the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
“Lonzo should be No. 1 because he’s the only player in the draft that can make everybody else around him better,” he told ESPN’s Jovan Buha. “You can see that with UCLA. Why shouldn’t he be No. 1? He’s earned it. Nobody else is playing like him. Nobody else is doing what he’s doing. He’s selling out arenas, he’s making all his players better. Why wouldn’t he be No. 1? How do you start your franchise without that guy?”
It’s the latest in an ever-growing list of claims made by LaVar, who recently claimed that not only will his son be better than Stephen Curry, but that he’ll be expecting Michael Jordan-like branding power from his son when Lonzo enters the NBA.
UCLA (27-3) has been one of the more miraculous turnaround stories of the season in college basketball. A sub-.500 team a season ago, the Lonzo-led Bruins are considered among the top teams who could challenge to win the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Vegas Insiders gives UCLA 8-to-1 odds that it will win it all -- second best behind North Carolina.
If you’re curious where LaVar stands on who might win it all, he already went on the record in November and predicted a UCLA title.
