Courtside
Anthony L. Cuaycong
Remember the Energizer Bunny? He of the bass drum just chugging along. And going. And going. And doing so for what has seemed like forever. You’d think he’s unique, having been around for the better part of three decades. Well, lo and behold, there’s one like him, and gaining surprising traction as well. Goes by the name of LaVar Ball, who, by all indications, is having a, well, ball in the face of all the attention generated by a constantly running motor — or, to be precise, motormouth.
To be fair, Ball’s in-your-face style has worked to his advantage. Everywhere he goes, he draws interest. On the eve of the rookie draft, for instance, he went around the streets of New York literally heaping praise upon his son Lonzo to passers-by. Your initial thoughts: The Big Apple has seen everything, and its denizens are too jaded to fall for his schtick. You were proven wrong, of course. Why he did it appeared to be a question mark; after all, his son was already projected to go to the Lakers, exactly as he wished, so there was no need for the stunt. Or so you thought. And then you noticed how it kept him — and, ultimately, the $500 shoes he was hawking — in the limelight.
So, grudgingly, you admit that Ball’s bigger than you — bigger than life. Of course, he was there on D Day, celebrating much more than his son and already pledging a playoff stint for the Lakers. He was hogging news late last week, when he foresaw LeBron James, slated to be a free agent next year, hooking up with his son to claim the championship. He also exploded on social media over the weekend, berating Elena Delle Donne for daring to crack a joke at the expense of Big Baller Brand. Heck, he has taken on Stephen A. Smith, and actually succeeded in winning what amounted to a shouting match.
Which is to say Ball is a troll without peer. He’ll be the subject of memes, the recipient of countless evil eyes, the source of irritation after irritation, and he couldn’t care less. He’s got you and the pro hoops scene at the palm of his hands, taking in his every word, and laughing all the way to the bank. Is he putting undue pressure to Lonzo? No doubt. Then again, he’s also absorbing no small measure of it. After his son’s poor debut at the Summer League, for example, he made sure what he said, instead of what his son did, grabbed the headlines.
Stage fathers aren’t new to organized sports, to be sure. Still, you see Ball to be different, perhaps because what passes off for news these days is transmitted in real time. In any case, you’re slowly getting used to him, not unlike a scab that you can’t help chip away to your detriment. He’ll keep going because he’s got your goat. Because he has two more sons to shepherd to the National Basketball Association. Because he’s who he is. For better or worse (okay, worse), he’ll be like the Energizer Bunny, loud and proud.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is the Senior Vice-President and General Manager of Basic Energy Corp.
