The Big Baller Thread

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bapo!
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The Big Baller Thread

Post by bapo! »

LaVar Ball and his offspring need a dedicated thread.

My initial strategy was to ignore him and hope that he went away. That didn't happen. In fact, he keeps getting louder. So I decided to give in and embrace the hate. I don't want to turn into the kind of person who roots for teenaged basketball players to fail, but Big Baller is pushing me in that direction.

The latest: he wants to start his own pro basketball league for kids who don't want to attend college. I've seen this idea bandied about for years, but the NBA's developmental league already accepts 18-year-olds, right?

It's amazing that this guy has only been in the public consciousness for a year or two. He's already given us so much. I can't look away.
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Re: The Big Baller Thread

Post by A_B »

He's a hustler, baby.
You know what you need? A lyrical sucker punch to the face.
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Re: The Big Baller Thread

Post by Rex »

Yes, he is free to take over the G-League whenever he wants.
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Re: The Big Baller Thread

Post by Pruitt »

Two Younger Balls Off To Play Pro Ball In A Town of 9,000 In Lithuania

16 years old and pro?

Man, I give this until Valentine's Day.
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Re: The Big Baller Thread

Post by bapo! »

Pruitt wrote:Two Younger Balls Off To Play Pro Ball In A Town of 9,000 In Lithuania

16 years old and pro?

Man, I give this until Valentine's Day.

I haven't been interested in Lithuanian basketball since the days of Sarunas Marciulionus, but I can't wait to see how this plays out.
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Re: The Big Baller Thread

Post by sancarlos »

This quote crystallizes what they will be up against.
Bruce Jenkins in the SF Chronic wrote:In a village of some 10,000 people, they’ll find that few people speak English, including their coach and most everyone on the court. Once enamored with the thought of playing before vibrant crowds at Pauley Pavilion, they’ll find themselves in a bleak, 1,700-seat arena. Their flashy, shoot-from-anywhere style is unlikely to mesh with teammates conditioned by discipline and no-nonsense coaching. They’ll be playing against grown men who love to throw their weight around. It’s a franchise beset by ongoing financial issues. The weather won’t remind anyone of Playa Del Rey. Dietary options could be a drag. Then there’s LaVar, whose preposterous bluster is the very antithesis of the stoic, reserved Lithuanian demeanor. Although hardly intended, this idea sounds more like punishment than anything else...
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Re: The Big Baller Thread

Post by Pruitt »

sancarlos wrote:This quote crystallizes what they will be up against.
Bruce Jenkins in the SF Chronic wrote:In a village of some 10,000 people, they’ll find that few people speak English, including their coach and most everyone on the court. Once enamored with the thought of playing before vibrant crowds at Pauley Pavilion, they’ll find themselves in a bleak, 1,700-seat arena. Their flashy, shoot-from-anywhere style is unlikely to mesh with teammates conditioned by discipline and no-nonsense coaching. They’ll be playing against grown men who love to throw their weight around. It’s a franchise beset by ongoing financial issues. The weather won’t remind anyone of Playa Del Rey. Dietary options could be a drag. Then there’s LaVar, whose preposterous bluster is the very antithesis of the stoic, reserved Lithuanian demeanor. Although hardly intended, this idea sounds more like punishment than anything else...


Did I say Valentine's Day?

They'll be home for the Super Bowl.
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Re: The Big Baller Thread

Post by Joe K »

A_B wrote:He's a hustler, baby.

And he's very good at it. Look how much attention and hype Lonzo is getting compared to Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell, two rookies from his draft class who are having far better seasons. I also think that the BBB model is a lot more popular among Lonzo's fellow athletes than the public realizes. They know how corrupt the amateur system is and seen to respect the Balls for how they've taken control of their own marketing. I don't know about LaMelo, but LiAngelo was never going to be an NBA prospect regardless. Playing overseas for awhile before transitioning to a business role at BBB might be his best case scenario.
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Re: The Big Baller Thread

Post by bapo! »

Joe K wrote:And he's very good at it. Look how much attention and hype Lonzo is getting compared to Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell, two rookies from his draft class who are having far better seasons.

This is most definitely true. When I tried to watch a college football game on ESPN3 and saw Lonzo on the splash page, I knew that the hype was working. And it's only grown since then.

LiAngelo was never going to be an NBA prospect regardless. Playing overseas for awhile before transitioning to a business role at BBB might be his best case scenario.

A year or four at UCLA might have been beneficial in a lot of ways, but they've made their decision. Life happened pretty fast for him.
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Re: The Big Baller Thread

Post by Joe K »

While it's obviously sacrilege to compare Lonzo to LeBron, the lack of any college education didn't stop Rich Paul from becoming one of the most powerful agents in basketball. I think Lavar is probably trying to have BBB duplicate some aspects of LMRM, the marketing group LeBron set up with his inner circle.
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Re: The Big Baller Thread

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Joe K wrote:While it's obviously sacrilege to compare Lonzo to LeBron, the lack of any college education didn't stop Rich Paul from becoming one of the most powerful agents in basketball. I think Lavar is probably trying to have BBB duplicate some aspects of LMRM, the marketing group LeBron set up with his inner circle.

The LRMR guys are pretty anonymous, tho. Certainly not in LeBron's level of fame. I couldn't pick Maverick Carter out of a line-up. But LaVar is The Guy, who models his persona on a wrestling heel.

That might work in the short term, but a lot depends on how good Lonzo and LaMelo turn out to be.
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Re: The Big Baller Thread

Post by The Sybian »

bapo! wrote:LaVar Ball and his offspring need a dedicated thread.

My initial strategy was to ignore him and hope that he went away.


That was my plan, until he got into a fight with the female cohost of whatever show it was. Then the Trump think certainly got my attention. Then I actually forgot about him. My initial reaction is to hate him and his kids, but I actually feel bad for the kids. Imagine being a rookie on the Lakers, with the absolute worst Dance Mom ever all over you at all times, while making an enormous ass of himself in the media. It's a form of abuse, and it's like these kids are imprisoned in a cult. I have to imagine their teammates aren't too thrilled with LaVar. With the little I know about LaVar, there has to be either mental illness or a personality disorder involved, right? His behavior goes way beyond playing the Heel for publicity as a sales stunt.
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Re: The Big Baller Thread

Post by Giff »

1-0 since this thread was started.
well this is gonna be someone's new signature - bronto
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Re: The Big Baller Thread

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"What a bunch of pedantic pricks." - sybian
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Re: The Big Baller Thread

Post by sancarlos »

Shockingly, this carnival ride did not go smoothly.

Lavar Ball's Lithuania experiment reportedly ended in boredom and sadness
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Re: The Big Baller Thread

Post by Pruitt »

sancarlos wrote: Mon Apr 30, 2018 5:10 pm Shockingly, this carnival ride did not go smoothly.

Lavar Ball's Lithuania experiment reportedly ended in boredom and sadness
Ha!

They've peaked as athletes.
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