LaVar Ball Criticizes Luke Walton And Coaching Staff For Not Being Tougher On Lakers Players ‘They’re Soft’

ESPN


The LA Lakers have experienced some growing pains this season as they continue to try and breakthrough into a team that isn’t relegated to the NBA lottery.

Despite the team’s ups and downs, coach Luke Walton has remained patient with his young players.

Via Bleacher Report.

Walton’s focus day to day must be on winning, but to do so, he needs to let his young players make mistakes while gaining the experience they need to succeed.

“The line is there and you walk that line every day because you need to encourage them to have the confidence in themselves,” Walton said. “When they’re at this stage of their careers, [sometimes] you have to point out that that’s not how you do different things.”

LaVar Ball, father of Lakers star point guard Lonzo Ball, believes Walton and the Lakers staff are going too easy on the young Lakers squad amid the team’s struggles this season.

“They’re soft. They don’t know how to coach my son. I know how to coach him,” LaVar Ball said. “I tell him to go get the victory. Stop messing around.”

Does he have a problem with coach Luke Walton?

“No, I have a problem with losing,” Ball responded.

“What I mean by babying [Lonzo], ‘He’ll figure it out,'” Ball said. “It ain’t about that. ‘Be patient with him?’ Ain’t no patience if you’re winning.”

“They’re letting it go too easy, saying they’re a young team,” he continued. “Forget about that! Put the [onus] on them. Say, ‘You guys need to win. You’ve got enough talent. Win some games.'”

LaVar Ball has a right to criticize the Lakers coaching staff all he wants but Walton is a fine coach and has been a part of a championship coaching team that didn’t have to “get tough” on their players. There’s a reason why Walton is the Lakers coach and Ball isn’t.