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LaVar Ball is best-known for being the loud-mouthed dad of the Ball brothers, Lonzo, LiAngelo and LaMelo, constantly stirring things up by saying or doing some wild things. And, since the family’s story is documented in a TV show called Ball in the Family, viewers got a little sneak peek as to how LaVar took the news that his youngest son, LaMelo, was interested in leaving a professional team overseas to return to a high school in the U.S.
Look, no disrespect to LaVar Ball, but the dude probably isn’t going to win “Dad of the Year” anytime soon. Respect for him trying to push his sons to reach the NBA and all, but, damn, that kind of control over their lives has to get old fast.
When it came to LaMelo Ball, it seemed like he wanted to take a little bit of that control back, standing up to his dad to return to the States for his senior year of high school, eventually leading to the teenager playing for a high school in Ohio, SPIRE Institute. Here’s the exchange between son and dad, though, which should LaVar Ball a little upset about the idea.
Sad that Lamelo can’t live his life like a regular teenager. His dad Lavar got to make plans for his future and since Lamelo is young he has to do as his father says. 😔🤦♂️ pic.twitter.com/NgKlXjTEYV
— Marquise Jenkins (@Marquisejenkin7) January 28, 2019
Here’s a transcription of the above exchange between the two, per FTW.USAToday:
LaMelo: “I don’t really know how you’re gonna take this right now, but I just want to finish off my high school — like, senior year.”
LaVar: “I’m homeschooling you already though.”
LaMelo: “But like amongst my peers and stuff.”
LaVar: “Son, that ain’t gonna make you no better playing against high school dudes, man.”
LaMelo said that he wanted to go back to high school because Lonzo and LiAngelo did it. They had that experience. He wanted to have the same opportunity.
“No, I didn’t like that one bit,” LaVar said later.
After LaVar Ball spoke with associate Alan Foster about LaMelo’s request, wondering if he was being selfish, the decision had been made and the family notified the son’s European squad that he was headed back to the States. Added LeMelo Ball of the decision: “I’m really excited what’s happening. I think it’s best for my future.”
With LaMelo Ball back playing against high school competition as a senior now, he’s gotten a lot of pub recently regarding his basketball future, specifically, being left off of the McDonald’s All-American roster. And, although college doesn’t seem like it’s going to be an option for LaMelo, ESPN still ranks him as a five-star recruit, so it’ll be interesting to see what maneuver LaVar Ball will do in the next year to help his youngest son get to the NBA.