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Lavar Ball Wants Sons to Play for Clippers After Lakers Messed Up Lonzo

LaVar Ball, the father of the three Ball brothers, wants them to play for the Clippers.

Sam Garcia

Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
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Lonzo Ball’s name was surrounded by lots of hype and expectation, especially because he was one of three brothers in the Ball family that would emerge as one of the most famous basketball families in history. The Ball trio won the 2016 California State Championship with Chino Hills High School, which placed the spotlight on the young stars. 

All three brothers are in different places in their careers. Lonzo has struggled with injuries his entire career. Lonzo’s youngest brother, LaMelo Ball, signed a five-year extension contract with the Charlotte Hornets. Meanwhile, the middle brother, LiAngelo Ball, has yet to make his NBA debut but has played in the G League for two seasons. 

However, one thing that their father LaVar Ball knows is he does not want any of his sons to play for the Lakers again.

“Here’s the thing, I don’t want to go back to the Lakers on the fact that how you did Lonzo,” LaVar Ball said Lonzo and LiAngelo's podcast "The WAE Show" (as recounted via NBACentral_ “So why can I bring the other two?” 

The father has a specific team in mind for the future of his sons and shared that he has a good relationship with the franchise’s coach.

“I want them all to play for the Clippers,” Ball said. “Steve Ballmer. That's my guy. I like him, I like his style. That's why I tell him ‘My last name Ball. His last name Ballmer. We supposed to ‘Ball More’”.

Lonzo, the oldest of the bunch, was drafted by the Lakers as the second overall pick in the first round of the 2017 NBA draft after one year at UCLA. Staying close to home, it seemed like the Lakers would be a perfect fit for the Chino Hills, California native. 

However, a long stretch of injuries in his lower body, primarily his knee, would begin to arise quickly after joining the franchise. 

In his rookie season, Ball missed 15 games between January and February due to a sprained MCL. He missed an additional six games with a shoulder sprain earlier in the season. By July 2018, the Lakers announced the NBA All-Rookie team member would undergo arthroscopic surgery in his left knee to repair a meniscus tear. 

He returned for his second season but endured a Grade 3 ankle sprain in January, which ended his season prematurely

The Lakers traded Ball to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for nine-time NBA All-Star Anthony Davis in 2019. After departing from Los Angeles, Ball would go on to sustain a long list of injuries, and he has not played in the last two seasons.

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Sam Garcia
SAM GARCIA

Samantha Garcia is a student at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is majoring in Psychology and minoring in Professional Writing. She is also a sports writer for the Daily Bruin at UCLA.

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