$35 Million All-Star Will Never Play for Lakers: ‘Hell No’

Getty Lakers stars Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis and LeBron James

It looks like one of the best young players in the NBA will never play for the Los Angeles Lakers.

During an interview with Pierce Simpson of Complex on December 19, the always outspoken LaVar Ball said he won’t let LaMelo Ball suit up for the Lakers, who traded Lonzo Ball to the New Orleans Pelicans in the summer of 2019 in the blockbuster Anthony Davis trade.

“Common sense would tell you, hell no,” LaVar said. “You did something to my boy Lonzo, and you think I’m going to come back with the others? I gotta be stone-cold crazy.”

The Lakers drafted Lonzo with the second overall pick in the 2017 draft out of UCLA. The talented floor general averaged 10.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.4 assists in 99 games with the purple and gold while shooting 38.0% from the field, 31.5% from beyond the arc and 43.7% from the free-throw line.

Lonzo dealt with knee injuries during his time with the Lakers and LaVar blamed Los Angeles’ training staff. LaVar told Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype in May 2018 that Lakers head trainer Gunnar Peterson didn’t do a good job with Lonzo during the 2017-18 season, Lonzo’s first year in the NBA.

“My expectation for Lonzo is for him to be twice as good as he was this year, and to be more healthy,” LaVar told Kennedy. “He understands, he went through it. If you’re going to be doing those [workouts with] rubber-bands like that dude Gunnar has him doing, that [is] bullsh*t training. That’s what I call it. Sh*t, he wasn’t like that when I brought him over there. When he first came [to the Lakers], he never got hurt. He was never hurt.”

“Now, you’ve got these guys talking about, ‘Well, I’ve got this special workout for Lonzo…’ No! Lonzo’s gotta lift that pig iron, that real iron, and he’s gotta run some hills. That’s stuff they don’t have him doing. Some of these guys try to act like they’re the best trainers in the world because they trained some people with some God-danged names. But me? I ain’t worried about the names. I want to see your production! You have all these players coming through. Well, why are they getting hurt?”

LaVar Ball Wanted LaMelo Ball on Lakers with Lonzo Ball

LaVar wanted LaMelo and Lonzo to be teammates on the Lakers. However, that ship sailed after Lonzo was traded to the Pelicans.

“No. I wanted Melo to be a Laker before that ship done sailed,” LaVar said. “You get rid of ‘Zo and you think I’m going to come back? I’m not that type of foolish guy.”

Lonzo plays for the Chicago Bulls now after signing a four-year, $80 million contract with the team in August 2021 as part of a sign-and-trade deal with the Pelicans. LaMelo, meanwhile, is in his third season with the Charlotte Hornets. The 2020-21 Rookie of the Year signed a four-year, $35 million rookie contract with the Hornets in November 2020. LaMelo can become a restricted free agent after next season if he doesn’t agree to a rookie-scale extension this summer.

Lonzo has career averages of 11.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 6.2 assists with the Lakers, Pelicans and Bulls. He has yet to play this season due to a left knee injury. Lonzo underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in September.

LaMelo, meanwhile, has career averages of 18.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 7.1 assists. He’s only appeared in eight games this season because of an ankle injury.

LaVar Ball Says His 3 Sons Will Play for Same Team

LaVar believes his three sons (Lonzo, LaMelo, LiAngelo) will play for the same team one day. That has never happened in NBA history.

“It’s going to happen, all three of them are going to play on the same team; and when it happens, folks are going to go crazy,” LaVar said. “Why couldn’t it still happen? At some point, all of their contracts are over, and they come up at the same time; you don’t think they’re going to make the decision to be together? It’s going to happen. Ball boys are good for business.”