The LA Lakers have been careful with how they have addressed LaVar Ball’s criticisms in public, but they have apparently been rather irked in private.
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported on Thursday that the Lakers were “angry and disappointed” with LaVar, the boisterous father of star rookie Lonzo Ball, for recently saying that head coach Luke Walton had lost control of the team. President of basketball operations Magic Johnson was even said to have called an associate of LaVar’s and “strongly admonished” him over the remarks.
More from Shelburne:
[The Lakers] felt as though no other franchise would be as accommodating and supportive as they had been, only to be rewarded with a constant disrespect and drama. Or, as one official put it, “He [LaVar] reaches out with one hand and slaps us with the other.”
Indeed, LaVar has been a constant thorn in the Lakers’ side this season with his attacks on the team (and Walton in particular) for how they are coaching his son. The circus has died down a bit recently given that Lonzo has not played since Jan. 13 with a knee injury. But it has not done so entirely, as LaVar recently made more inflammatory remarks regarding the team.
