[rungoodinc]

Re-posting this from the NBA thread since it's more appropriate here:

I'm biased because I've been a diehard UCLA Basketball fan for 20+ years. But I know the game of basketball and I watched probably 25 UCLA games in their entirety this past season, so I am informed on this issue unlike the vast number of idiots spouting their two cents on social media.

Lonzo is the truth. It almost doesn't do him justice to say he's a great passer or has great court vision. The kid ALWAYS makes the right play. He sees things before they develop, even when he is on defense (which is why he averaged almost 2 steals a game). It's truly rare to see a player who has that kind of feel for the game. It's no coincidence that UCLA went from 15-17 to 31-5 in one season with mostly the same players.

Finishing at the rim is also one of his greatest strengths. If Steph, Kyrie and IT can also finish at the rim in the NBA there's no reason he won't. It's all about shot-making at that point.

He won't be a team's go-to shot maker, which makes him a little bit different from the current NBA formula of stardom. He's a throwback pure point guard but his game also happens to be well-suited to the modern NBA since he pushes the ball up the floor and is quite efficient with his shooting. He basically only takes threes and layups--his shot chart is something the Warriors or Rockets dream of. It was college, but 41% from 3 and 72% from 2 is a ridiculous rate.

His main weakness is defending quicker, smaller guards in one-on-one situations but that can easily be overcome with help from teammates (a la Klay covering for Steph). He does just fine when it comes to guarding bigger 2 guards and wings.

He also doesn't have much of a midrange game so I think he's gonna have to develop a floater to add to his arsenal. That said, the NBA is all about efficiency right now and midrange isn't as important as being able to stretch the floor with shooting and also being able to finish in the paint.

I've been riding with Lonzo since Day 1 and before all of the LaVar Ball media circus. The kid is the real deal and I'm confident he will turn the Lakers around. I've been watching basketball since I was 6 years old and I don't know if I ever had as much fun as I did this past season watching UCLA (their offense was historically good, arguably the best in the last 20 years of college BB period).

And as for LaVar, you can say what you want about him, but the dude is clearly alpha and genuinely hilarious. People just see the clickbait headlines and get caught up in the media narrative without knowing what he is really about. He's the Trump of the sports world.

[rungoodinc]

Here's a solid compilation of some of the best LaVar ball quotes. He's a jackass but hilarious.

What was more funny to me is that all these dudes on the internet who think they know basketball actually thought the Lakers weren't gonna draft him. Anyone who actually knows college basketball + NBA knew that he was the consensus #2 pick all year long and nobody was gonna pass on a talent like that. Any of the reports to the contrary were smokescreens and fake news which the media easily fell for once again.

Also LMAO @ people who thought De'Aaron Fox was a better prospect. That basically just shows that they only watched one game all year. Fox is a better one-on-one player and can take Lonzo any day off the dribble, but that doesn't mean he is the better player who will have a greater impact on his team. That's like saying Kyrie is better than Steph Curry just because Kyrie owns Steph in a one-on-one setting.

Stay in yo lane.

[realologist]

[rudebwoy]

(05-17-2017 02:43 PM)rudebwoy Wrote:  

The whole shoe deal is a marketing ploy, I would bet big money that one of the big shoe companies are behind him.

He seems to be getting a lot of free marketing via bad publicity.

People will be dumb enough to spend $500 on a basketball shoe.

Any of you looked into how much a pair of Buscemi's cost or Louboutin sneakers?

I said this two months ago.

Since then his son gets drafted by the Lakers.

Then he gets a segment on Monday Night Raw.

Seems to be getting a lot of publicity for a guy that is an "independent".

Don't fall for the age old con.

Dad does look goofy....

[rungoodinc]

Quote:

Seems to be getting a lot of publicity for a guy that is an "independent".

There are a number of reasons why he is getting so much publicity:

1) Lonzo is a local LA product who has been on the national radar since he and his two brothers went 35-0 at Chino Hills and were #1 in the nation. He then went to UCLA and revived the program there. He also plays the "Showtime" brand of basketball which is why UCLA set attendance records last year even though we've had better overall teams in the past.

2) All of the major sports media companies (ESPN, Fox Sports) have main offices in LA and they have known about this kid for a while. It's only natural for ESPN and Fox Sports to hype up the kid since they see him play all the time. If he were from somewhere else that wouldn't be the case.

3) Social media and the 24 hour news cycle. This whole thing has grown in a way it couldn't have without social media and the current state of media.

4) LaVar knows how to play the media. He says ridiculous things which he generally believes but he also knows are going to get a reaction from people. He knows how to play the media just like Donald Trump did. Any press is good press, and he has gladly taken on the role of villain since he knows that it will ultimately come down to Lonzo's results on the court.

The truth is that Lonzo is actually a very low-key and soft-spoken kid, so he's creating a sort of "good cop bad cop" marketing strategy.

But the fact of the matter is that even before LaVar was saying anything, Lonzo was already one of the best pure PG prospects we've seen since Chris Paul. That's not just my opinion, but the consensus among college basketball analysts and NBA scouts. LaVar knew that he could talk all this shit, build the hype, and Lonzo would be likely to deliver through his play. It still remains to be seen, but he is basically in the perfect situation under Magic Johnson in LA, so the chance of him being a bust went WAY down after being drafted by the Lakers.

They lucked out by having the Lakers get the #2 pick, since Lonzo was almost guaranteed to go top 2. So if anything, the most viable conspiracy here is the one everyone has been saying for years: the NBA is rigged, lol.

[rungoodinc]

Also, to those who think it's blasphemous to compare him to Jason Kidd, here is the statistical comparison of the two players for their freshman seasons playing in the same conference:



Their stat-lines are almost identical.

I grew up watching Kidd so I know he is an all-time great. Lonzo is the closest thing anyone has seen to Jason Kidd, period. That doesn't mean he's gonna be as good as him, but in terms of predicting how good he can be and finding an apt comparison, he has Jason Kidd written all over him.

[Sidney Crosby]

Not a huge basketball fan but I fan but I read the headlines once in a while. Lavar Ball is great and the shoe line will probably be popular in the future.

[nomadbrah]

(06-28-2017 04:25 PM)rungoodinc Wrote:  

Also, to those who think it's blasphemous to compare him to Jason Kidd, here is the statistical comparison of the two players for their freshman seasons playing in the same conference:



Their stat-lines are almost identical.

I grew up watching Kidd so I know he is an all-time great. Lonzo is the closest thing anyone has seen to Jason Kidd, period. That doesn't mean he's gonna be as good as him, but in terms of predicting how good he can be and finding an apt comparison, he has Jason Kidd written all over him.

Yes, I noticed the same thing (without the stats). There is definitely some Kidd in Ball and that is also why I would pick him easily over someone like Fultz.

They're not exactly alike, I think ball looks more to score than Kidd and Ball is more of a "last pass" kinda player where as Kidd was the master of the hockey assists.

One of the more interesting players to enter the league in a while.

[rungoodinc]

“I ain't got nothing against Fultz. That boy can play,” Ball said. “But if you really that good, your team gotta go at least .500 if you got a bunch of blind midgets.”

LaVar is officially the GOAT.

[komatiite]

(06-27-2017 06:31 PM)Repo Wrote:  

Can't believe I'm just now seeing this video. Lavar is a legend

Dude that was epic

Stephen A: "Can I ask you a question?"
LaVar: "ASK ME TWO"

This is great shit. LaVar really has the #EmbraceDebate ethos at ESPN down pat

[QuietDog]

Lavar is pretty corny and I'm not sure about his business sense but I definitely respect the hustle. He worked hard to get his sons to the point of NBA eligibility and seems to really want the best for them.

[ElJefe1]

http://www.hiphopoverload.com/adidas-nik...er-league/

$100 million being thrown at the man by Nike and adidas and he's yet to play one regular season game after initially being offered only 10mil by each.... pretty soon they'll have no choice but to partner with Big Baller brand and the man everyone criticised his business sense m, brashness, ego, will be laughing all the way to the bank because of what everyone said couldn't be done he did.. cheers to you Lavar Ball for taking control of your own destiny and teaching your kids about ownership, thinking outside the box keeping your head down and persevering while everyone criticised and laughed...

[debeguiled]

If he keeps this up, he will end up being a reaction picture for the forum:

[MANic]

Life is a cruel joke. My best friend and his wife are probably the best people I know (conservative, highly moral and ethical, high IQ) and have been trying for years to procreate.

All they want is a healthy child who they can help grow and impart strong values and virtues to yet they've had no luck. Yet this faggot who only wanted boys who he can make ballers seems to be having it all this way.

How poor his moral sentience must be to procreate with this objective in mind.

[debeguiled]

(07-17-2017 12:11 PM)MANic Wrote:  

Life is a cruel joke. My best friend and his wife are probably the best people I know (conservative, highly moral and ethical, high IQ) and have been trying for years to procreate.

All they want is a healthy child who they can help grow and impart strong values and virtues to yet they've had no luck. Yet this faggot who only wanted boys who he can make ballers seems to be having it all this way.

How poor his moral sentience must be to procreate with this objective in mind.

[frenchcorporation]

(07-17-2017 12:11 PM)MANic Wrote:  

Life is a cruel joke. My best friend and his wife are probably the best people I know (conservative, highly moral and ethical, high IQ) and have been trying for years to procreate.

All they want is a healthy child who they can help grow and impart strong values and virtues to yet they've had no luck. Yet this faggot who only wanted boys who he can make ballers seems to be having it all this way.

How poor his moral sentience must be to procreate with this objective in mind.

[ElJefe1]

(07-17-2017 12:49 PM)debeguiled Wrote:  

(07-17-2017 12:11 PM)MANic Wrote:  

Life is a cruel joke. My best friend and his wife are probably the best people I know (conservative, highly moral and ethical, high IQ) and have been trying for years to procreate.

All they want is a healthy child who they can help grow and impart strong values and virtues to yet they've had no luck. Yet this faggot who only wanted boys who he can make ballers seems to be having it all this way.

How poor his moral sentience must be to procreate with this objective in mind.

It's never good to have hate in your blood, I understand you were dealt a rough hand in life but to be mad at someone else for their family and successfulness well doesn't really make you appear or sound like the "best people" you claim to be....

[Roosh]

Entertaining reality show about the family:

[Buck Wild]

I'll say because it has to be said: wife was clearly a solid WB at one point and is more-or-less still MILF quality now.

Props to this man.

[glugger]

LaVar Ball pulls youngest son LaMelo out of high school, will home school him

Quote:

In a statement to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, LaVar opened up more about the decision, citing disagreements with his son’s high school coach.

“I’m not dealing with the coach over there,” he said.

“I’m not dealing with the administration over there. I don’t want no distractions on Melo. So therefore I’m going to home school him and make him the best basketball player ever.

“It’s a new coach and I don’t like him one bit. He’s on track for UCLA, but he doesn’t have to be dealing with those knuckleheads. I’m not letting them mess with his head anymore. You can put that on the principal and coach over there.”

LaMelo remains signed to UCLA — though there are questions regarding his eligibility — and is expected to play AAU ball in the winter.

[TravelerKai]

You know perhaps we can learn some stuff from this dude. Some of us, like myself might do the homeschool route or private Christian school for my son. He's much larger than I was at his age, and wears clothes sizes for older kids one year older at least. I was thinking if he will be a better basketball candidate than I was, how can he still play good ball and learn fundamentals? Perhaps I can do what he just did with his youngest. Now maybe that beef is a petty or self inflicted one, but for me, 5-10 years from now, American public schools will be centers for crass degeneracy unless things improve for the better.

At a minimum it is good to keep some decent ideas in the back pocket.

[TrifeLife]

My betting site has a +25000 future for Lavar Ball to win the 2020 presidential election

[Kyrie_The_Goat]

Why so much hate towards Lavar?

[Disco_Volante]

Lonzo's little bro, UCLA player LiAngelo Ball arrested in China for shoplifting during a college hoops tour there.

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketb...hoplifting

Quote:

One source told ESPN that nearly 20 police officers came into the Hyatt Hangzhou at approximately 8 a.m. local time Tuesday and spoke to multiple players from both Georgia Tech and UCLA. The players, according to the source, were kept in a room for hours and not allowed to speak to any of the coaches.

"They weren't messing around," the source told ESPN. "The kids were scared."

Liangelo even has a Ferrari yet he's shoplifting how pathetic.
How fucked are they? I take it China doesn't give a shit about letting westerners off the hook?

[Remington]

^If you are a college athlete who has the potential to play a game for a living for millions of dollars, all you need to do is not fuck up.

How are you that stupid to try and steal something? Let alone in another country.

This could be bad for future endorsement deals for the Ball family.