We black people have been feeling ourselves all day today.
After all, we helped get Doug Jones elected as US Senator from Alabama – ALABAMA!!! Folks like my fraternity brother Roland Martin, Joy Reid, Van Jones and others have been preaching the notion of black folks recognizing our power.
Then there’s LaVar Ball.
This negro has been having his beige ass front and center since his son Lonzo starred at UCLA and his subsequent drafting by the Los Angeles Lakers. He has been critical of Luke Walton and the Lakers coaching staff’s handling of Lonzo, blaming them for his and the team’s struggles. The team had to have a sit-down meeting with LaVar – you read that right, one of the glamour franchises in sports, led by Vice President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson, called a meeting with this loud-mouthed ‘bama!
We all know what LaVar has done with his two younger sons.
In response to his youngest child LaMelo’s high school coach saying he shouldn’t be taking 60 three-pointers a game, LaVar yanked him out of high school and is home-schooling/training him. When his middle son LiAngelo was indefinitely suspended by UCLA for shoplifting in China, LaVar yanked him out of college and said he will not be transferring schools and will be getting ready for next year’s draft. Hell, he already got his kids signed up to play pro ball in Lithuania (!).
Even though I do think LaVar is stupid as hell for doing all those things and may be hurting his sons in the long run, he is recognizing his power. However, I think this will end badly for LaVar’s two youngest kids – maybe Lonzo as well.
People of a certain age remember a dude named Todd Marinovich. Less people remember his dad, Marv.
Todd was a highly-recruited, highly-touted quarterback who was supposed to be the next best thing. He was great in high school and even greater in college, but he badly fizzled in the NFL.
Todd said he felt like he was pushed by his dad to be a football player, even though he didn’t want to be. After all, it was Marv who pushed Todd to be a QB from the time he was a toddler, seriously.
Marv’s handling of Todd adversely affected his son’s career — and life. Todd subsequently became drug-addicted and pissed his way out of the NFL. A very sad story, indeed.
LaVar is acting too much like Marv. Here’s hoping that ‘bama changes his tune before all his sons suffer the consequences of his silly-ass actions…
Categories: college basketball, college sports, NBA
Leave a Reply