LaVar Ball Says Lakers No Longer Want To Play for Luke Walton
LaVar Ball says the Lakers are not playing for coach Luke Walton any longer and the second-year coach has lost control of the team.
In an interview with ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman, Ball expressed some issues with Walton, including his age, his control of the team and the idea of him coaching either LeBron James or Paul George should either decided to come to the Lakers this offseason.
Ball said you can see Walton "doesn't have control of the team" and he is no longer connecting with the players, citing the way players react to substitutions as proof of this.
"No high-fives when they come out of the game," Ball told Goodman. "People don't know why they're in the game."
• LaVar Ball Makes Bold Proclamation on Lithuanian Reporter’s Hat
Ball also criticized the way Walton played Lonzo Ball in his first game returning from injury. After missing five games with a sprained should, Lonzo played 27 minutes in the Lakers' 108-94 loss to the Hornets Friday.
"Lonzo looked good, but he also looked disgusted," Ball told Goodman. "He was ready to play. Four minutes left in the first quarter, he dunked it, getting in a flow and coach sits him down. Sat him down. Now game goes from four points to 10 to 15 to 20. I don't know what they're doing. If he's ready to play, let him play. Don't try and monitor no minutes, put on restrictions."
LaVar added that he expects LeBron James to come to the Lakers because coming to the Lakers and winning a championship with a third team would be the only way James could surpass Michael Jordan as the greatest player ever.
"You can't give my son the best player in the league, and don't expect them not to win," Ball said to Goodman. "Get rid of everybody. Give him LeBron and Gelo [LiAngelo Ball]. You got a two and a three. And it's a win. It's a wrap. Then all you need are two rebounders—Julius Randle and Larry Nance Jr."
