Another day, another story involving the world's most famous sports dad.
Now just under a month until the 2017 NBA Draft, the questions and concerns about potential draft picks are starting to ramp up, as teams try to figure out which player would be the best fit for their organization.
For the Los Angeles Lakers, who have the No. 2 pick, much of their focus is understandably on Lonzo Ball, the lanky point guard out of UCLA that everyone projects to be one of the first players taken.
Along with Lonzo, however, comes LaVar Ball, the outspoken patriarch of the Ball family. His constant appearances on sports talk shows, where he almost always says something controversial, have made him a villain to many in the basketball world, and is forcing teams interested in drafting his son to do homework not only on Lonzo, but his dad as well.
The Lakers, however, do not seem too concerned with LaVar's potential involvement. Jeanie Buss, the Lakers owner, said LaVar reminds her of the tennis parents she used to work with in the past.
"I am aware of some of the comments of Lonzo's dad, and I think he's someone who's passionate about his son," said Jeanie Buss, the Lakers controlling owner. "I admire that. In my long history there was a time when I was heavily involved in tennis promotion, so I dealt with a lot of the tennis players' parents. Their commitment to their kids rivals LaVar Ball's connection to his own children."
While Buss wouldn't have any concern about the Lakers drafting Ball, she also said she'd leave that decision to Magic Johnson, president of basketball operations, and general manager Rob Pelinka, with input from coach Luke Walton.
Magic Johnson, the team's president of basketball operations, added that Lavar Ball won't "bother the Lakers organization."
"I'm happy that a father goes around saying great things about his son," Johnson said on a local radio show. "And also too, it hasn't bothered Lonzo. That's what we really have to look at. … As long as it doesn't bother him, it's not gonna bother the Laker organization."
Furthermore, UCLA coach Steve Alford, who the Lakers will surely talk to as well, told the Times that LaVar was never an issue.
Steve Alford didn't hesitate when asked about Lonzo Ball's enthusiastic and controversial father, LaVar.
Was LaVar Ball around the team much?
"Zero," Alford said.
Was he ever at practice?
"Never at practice," Alford said. "Never at practice; never called me."
Did he ever try to meddle in your coaching?
"Never," Alford said.
Of course, Alford does have LiAngelo Ball coming to UCLA next season, and LaMelo Ball on his way in a few years, so that may have influenced his comments. But he did still say it!