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Lonzo Ball

LaVar Ball: I'm the toughest coach Lonzo is ever going to have

Josh Peter
USA TODAY

 

LaVar Ball ranted about a female referee after his ejection from an AAU game on Friday.

LaVar Ball said he has no doubt his son Lonzo is ready for the NBA, especially for the league’s coaches. 

“I’m the toughest coach he's ever going to have,’’ LaVar Ball told USA TODAY Sports this year. “I used to tell Lonzo when he’s not doing good, 'Mother------, are (you) going to play or what? This some bull---- you’re doing. If you want to do this s---- you might as well sit down.'

“Now he’s got guys talking to him. ‘Lonzo, we need to do this, we need to do that.’ ‘’

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LaVar Ball said the coaches at UCLA, where Lonzo played last season as a freshman, were “the easiest coaches in the world. Anybody besides me is easy.’’

Scoffing at the idea he was too tough on Lonzo and his younger brothers, LiAngelo and LaMelo, LaVar Ball explained, "I told my sons this, ‘Don’t listen to how I tell you, listen to what I tell you. Because I say it in a different mindset.’

“I don’t be like, ‘Well, I think you need to get back on defense and it’d be good if you could slide your feet some more.’ I’m like, ‘Mother------, your ass is slow and you’re not getting back? Get your ass back.’ That’s how I’ll explain it.

“People looking at me like, ‘Look at that big black man screaming at those kids like that.’ Don’t worry about it. The ones I’m screaming at are my boys. Nobody’s else’s kids, I’m not coaching you like that. They’re not ready for that.’’

Off the court, LaVar Ball said, he was just as tough on his three sons.

“They understand, you get out of line, you ain’t got to listen to your mom,’’ he said. “I’m handling it. And I can be the best father in the world, I can be the worst father. I’ll let you pick which one.’’

There were three stages of discipline, he said.

“The first time I’m going to be like, ‘You know what? That’s dumb, dude,' " LaVar Ball explained. “ 'Think about it next time and get it right.'

“You do it wrong again and then I’m like, ‘You dumb-ass mother------, I’m going to tell your ass one more f------ time. You get this s--- f------ right.

“The third time you ain’t going to hear me say nothing. And you figure out how that one go. So you pick which of the three you want. My boys (are) smart.’’

Of the criticism his methods have drawn, LaVar Ball replied, “I only care about the circle that’s around me. I only care what my family thinks. And then again, I really don’t care about that. As long as my boys and we are great, you ain’t going to stop me from doing nothing.’’

 

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