When you talk about father-son duos in professional sports, the conversation is often dominated by legendary names.
Archie Manning raised two Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks in Peyton and Eli. Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. were fortunate enough to share the outfield in Seattle together, as LeBron James and his son Bronny now share the court in Los Angeles.
Today, the most notorious sports dad does not reside on the island of athletic prowess.
LaVar Ball doesn’t have a Hall of Fame NBA career, or any notable career accolades as a matter of fact. As a college basketball player at Washington State University, he averaged a less than impressive 2.2 points-per-game. Oddly enough, Ball made it onto a few NFL practice squads in the mid 90s as a defensive end and a tight end, however he never saw the field.
So what made LaVar so special? What did he have that other more athletically gifted fathers lacked?
LaVar manufactured a blueprint for his three sons — Lonzo, LiAngelo and LaMelo — from the moment each of them were born. The boys were not all only going to make the NBA, but become the center pieces for a basketball empire.
The Ball brothers started to gain some notoriety in 2016 at Chino Hills High School in Southern California, where they all started on the varsity basketball team. During this time, Lavar launched Big Baller Brand, a brand for his sons, with each ‘B’ standing for each boy.
When his oldest son Lonzo left high school to lead the UCLA Bruins as a first-year in 2017, LaVar was thrusted into the spotlight, becoming a juggernaut in the world of sports media.
He realized that he could use his already boisterius personality to the beneifit to not only his sons, but Big Baller Brand as well.
LaVar created viral moments wherever he went. He made claims such as that if his son were to switch places with NBA superstar Stephen Curry, UCLA would be a worse team. He said that if Lonzo was drafted to the Lakers, he would have a bigger impact than Magic Johnson had in the 1980s.
However the most famous take from LaVar can be classified as what some fans consider basketball sacrilege. LaVar claims that back in his “heyday” he would dominate Michael Jordan in a game of one-on-one. A take so blasphemous, he had everyone talking about it.
During this time, I remember asking my dad for a Big Baller Brand sweatshirt. Not only did he say no, but he ripped me shreds for even asking, called LaVar a clown and proceeded to buy me a Jordan brand sweatshirt instead.
That was LaVar’s genius. Creating engagement through outrage. Whether you loved him, hated him or didn’t take him seriously, you were still paying attention to what he was going to say next.
When Lonzo made his NBA debut, it wasn’t exactly the stellar start expected. He scored only three points on 1-for-6 shooting. After the game, Stephen A. Smith confronted LaVar about Lonzo’s underwhelming performance.
But LaVar didn’t flinch. “Big Baller Brand went up! 12%! It’s always good, even when you lose, I win.”
And he wasn’t wrong. Every time the Ball family trended for whatever reason, Big Baller Brand sales soared. LaVar had an understanding of how to leverage attention, turning even his detractors into unintentional promoters of his brand.
LaVar never really truly thought that he would beat Jordan in a game of one-on-one. It was all part of a brilliant way to amplify his family.
His prophecy on his sons paid off. Lonzo settled in as a great playmaker and perimeter defender. LiAngelo spent some time with the G-League affiliate of the Charlotte Hornets. LaMelo entered the NBA in 2020 and won the Rookie of the Year award.
LiAngelo recently pivoted to a career in music. In January, he released his debut single, “Tweaker,” which quickly went viral and debuted at No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100. Soon after, he signed a record deal with Def Jam Recordings and Universal Music Group, worth up to $13 million.
“Tweaker” was played everywhere on social media, as clips went viral of different sports locker rooms blasting the song. LiAngelo even performed the song during a timeout in the first quarter of the NFL Divisional round playoff game between the Detroit Lions and the Washington Commanders.
LaVar is polarizing, no doubt. But his genius lies in his ability to create opportunities where others saw roadblocks. He was able to continually hype up his boys in a manner that also boosted the brand he was trying to create.
Not only was LaVar a master marketer, he truly believed in his sons.
