ESPN
Bill Plaschke has written about sports for the Los Angeles Times since 1987. So there are very few people who know more about the goings-on in the Los Angeles sports scene than him.
Also, in case you hadn’t noticed, “Big Baller” Lavar Ball has been very, very quiet ever since LeBron James officially became part of his son Lonzo Ball’s team in L.A.
As you may recall, LeBron signed with the Lakers on July 1st. On July 3rd, we reported about Lavar talking about how Lonzo will make LeBron better, calling himself God in the process.
Ball followed that up a couple of weeks later saying that he would have beat LeBron back in the day because James is “too weak.”
A month later Lavar said his son can’t learn from LeBron because he already taught Lonzo everything.
That was about 75 days ago. We haven’t heard squat out of Lavar since. And Bill Plaschke believes he knows why.
Appearing on The Dan Patrick Show on Friday, Plaschke had this to say when Patrick brought up the subject of Lavar being silent.
Dan Patrick: “It feels like there was something that was said in the offseason. Like Magic said to Lonzo’s dad ‘here’s the deal, let’s just be quiet. For your son’s future, let’s just be quiet.’”
Bill Plaschke: “No, I think that happened last year and it didn’t work. I think they even threatened to trade him, I think they threatened to trade the kid if the dad didn’t shut up.
… I think what worked was LeBron James. He actually saw a guy who is bigger and [with] more status than [him]. He didn’t think Magic Johnson had the current status among the sporting public to stand him down, but LeBron does. And I think LeBron’s presence finally shut up LaVar. And he got scared. He said ‘maybe the Lakers don’t have the guts to trade my son. LeBron’ll sure trade my son, so I better keep my mouth shut.”
Getty Image (Composite)
If true, this might be the one thing that puts James over the hump in comparisons with MJ as the GOAT of the NBA.