Portland Trail Blazers: LaVar Ball says Lillard, McCollum won’t win in NBA
NBA super dad LaVar Ball was on a podcast recently where he stated that Portland Trail Blazers Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum will never win in the NBA
We all know about LaVar Ball’s antics. The outspoken father of famous basketballers Lonzo Ball, LaMelo Ball, and LiAngelo Ball, recently appeared on a podcast where he threw some shade at the Portland Trail Blazers.
Appearing On the Say Less with Kaz podcast, LaVar had several interesting takes. First, he spoke on how middle son LiAngelo, with the Oklahoma City Thunder’s G-League team this season, weighs a whopping 245 pounds.
LaVar also said that he was working on a premium line under his Big Baller Brand clothing and apparel company. Interesting, considering not long ago that the brand was being sold on stalls at basketball games that were selling apparel at 60 or 70 percent off.
The most controversial comment LaVar made, was around Blazers franchise centerpieces, Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.
After saying that he thought all three of his sons could end up on the New York Knicks, he said that his boys would take less money so that the team could sign better players in other positions. Then he put the boot into the Blazers.
"” Look at the Portland Trail Blazers. You got $300 million tied up in two guards. You ain’t gonna never win nothing when you tie up all the money in two players, it ain’t gonna happen like that.”"
First, it’s easy to say that his sons would take less money to make a championship contender, but if LaMelo turns into a superstar, there is no way he turns down a max contract offer to take less. No NBA player has ever turned down $100 million to make his team better.
Secondly, LaVar is pretty shortsighted with his comments on Dame and CJ. Being a small-market team in Portland, Blazers management has to overpay to keep players in town. A superstar like Lillard would get max contract offers from every team with cap space, so locking him down at the earliest possible date was vital.
In terms of winning, the last time there was an NBA playoffs, Dame and CJ were in the Western Conference Playoffs. Now both firmly in their prime, they are one piece away from being legitimate contenders.
LaVar’s comments might generate headlines, but a lot of the time, they are just hot air. The podcast is an interesting listen, but choosing to tear down an NBA superstar and then one of the game’s best shooting guards, doesn’t do his sons any favors.
The Blazers have a chance to prove LaVar and the other critics wrong when the NBA returns in August.