Anyone want Lonzo Ball (or his brothers) to fail because of LaVar Ball?

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Quite a few people in college are homeschooled. .

Yeah but none of the others had Lavar in charge of their homeschooling.

 

[bcla]

Yeah but none of the others had Lavar in charge of their homeschooling.

I think mom probably has more to do with how well adjusted the kids are. We don't really hear that much about her.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

And all the Magic Johnson comparisons were unfair to the kid. The kid is more of a pure point guard. He's not as tall as magic and not nearly as explosive. And he can't play all 5 positions on the floor like Magic did. Nobody can.

In a nutshell, he's not nearly as good as Magic.

I personally think De'Aaron Fox is better & should have been drafted before Lonzo. IMO, Lonzo was drafted mostly on hype. He didn't stand out as being that much better than other guards in the college game. Some, like Fox, looked better than him head to head. Regardless, if he wants to succeed & gain the respect of the other players, he needs to grow a backbone & tell his Dad he'll handle his own business.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Yeah but none of the others had Lavar in charge of their homeschooling.

Not completing high school doesn't appear to be a problem to the NCAA anymore. You can go from a junior in high school to a freshman at a highly ranked college in a couple months now. If he doesn't play in college, it will be due to him not having amateur status thanks to his Dad trying to get rich off his sons.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Not completing high school doesn't appear to be a problem to the NCAA anymore. You can go from a junior in high school to a freshman at a highly ranked college in a couple months now. If he doesn't play in college, it will be due to him not having amateur status thanks to his Dad trying to get rich off his sons.

My quote about lavar wasn't referring ot his status with the NCAA.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I don't really follow the NBA.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

My quote about lavar wasn't referring ot his status with the NCAA.

My point was education doesn't appear to matter to players with enough talent. He probably thinks basketball is his future, so school isn't important.

 

[bcla]

My point was education doesn't appear to matter to players with enough talent. He probably thinks basketball is his future, so school isn't important.

Of course there are no guarantees. LaMelo Ball is 15. Even as a top recruit, there are zero guarantees. I've seen plenty of five-star recruits who thought that they'd be one-and-done but ended up going a full four years because it was clear they weren't ready for the next level. I've seen plenty of injuries over the years. There are the players who thought they were NBA material. They were OK, but ended up playing in Turkey, England, China, Australia, Europe, or some other place where they could eke out a living playing basketball.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Of course there are no guarantees. LaMelo Ball is 15. Even as a top recruit, there are zero guarantees. I've seen plenty of five-star recruits who thought that they'd be one-and-done but ended up going a full four years because it was clear they weren't ready for the next level. I've seen plenty of injuries over the years. There are the players who thought they were NBA material. They were OK, but ended up playing in Turkey, England, China, Australia, Europe, or some other place where they could eke out a living playing basketball.

You're preaching to the choir on this one. I agree with everything you said, but that's not the way most of the current kids think. Their parents, coaches, hanger ons, etc. have all been telling them for years that they're going to be millionaires playing in the NBA. Everybody is counting the money, before the kid gets to high school.

We've had several players that were predicted to be one & done, but stayed longer. We also had a player last season that was nowhere near ready for the NBA, but was one & done. Anyone who is paying attention to college recruiting knows the overwhelming majority of 5 star athletes only plan to play in college one year, because they have to. They think they're ready for the pros coming out of high school, because people around them have been telling them that for years. Education isn't a priority. These kids make poor decisions for their future all the time, by going to colleges that they aren't well suited for. That's a whole other discussion though. Regardless, times have changed. Preparing for a future outside the NBA isn't even a consideration for most of the highly ranked kids today. I would be totally shocked to hear Lavar or LaMelo thought he needed an education beyond basketball.

 

[bcla]

You're preaching to the choir on this one. I agree with everything you said, but that's not the way most of the current kids think. Their parents, coaches, hanger ons, etc. have all been telling them for years that they're going to be millionaires playing in the NBA. Everybody is counting the money, before the kid gets to high school.

We've had several players that were predicted to be one & done, but stayed longer. We also had a player last season that was nowhere near ready for the NBA, but was one & done. Anyone who is paying attention to college recruiting knows the overwhelming majority of 5 star athletes only plan to play in college one year, because they have to. They think they're ready for the pros coming out of high school, because people around them have been telling them that for years. Education isn't a priority. These kids make poor decisions for their future all the time, by going to colleges that they aren't well suited for. That's a whole other discussion though. Regardless, times have changed. Preparing for a future outside the NBA isn't even a consideration for most of the highly ranked kids today. I would be totally shocked to hear Lavar or LaMelo thought he needed an education beyond basketball.

I'm a Cal grad and a Cal fan. One the years I have seen quite a few one and dones, as well as players who looked good enough but chose one more year. And the deal with the NBA now is that they're more than willing to draft players based on physical skills rather than a polished game.

Even so - over the years I've heard of some success stories. Kevin Johnson spent 4 years at Cal but didn't graduate. But he kept on coming back and got his degree after 10 years between NBA seasons. Eventually he was mayor of Sacramento. Sharif Rabdur-Rahim was a one and done (and looming sanctions were rumored to be a reason why he left) but he spent years working on completing his degree.

http://allball.blogs.nba.com/2012/05/15/shareef-abdur-rahim-gets-his-degree-from-berkeley/

However, in all those years I don't remember a stage parent quite like Lavar Ball. I remember a lot of players whose dads played in the NBA, and they seemed to display more of a healthy attitude of support rather than bravado.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

I'm a Cal grad and a Cal fan. One the years I have seen quite a few one and dones, as well as players who looked good enough but chose one more year. And the deal with the NBA now is that they're more than willing to draft players based on physical skills rather than a polished game.

Even so - over the years I've heard of some success stories. Kevin Johnson spent 4 years at Cal but didn't graduate. But he kept on coming back and got his degree after 10 years between NBA seasons. Eventually he was mayor of Sacramento. Sharif Rabdur-Rahim was a one and done (and looming sanctions were rumored to be a reason why he left) but he spent years working on completing his degree.

http://allball.blogs.nba.com/2012/05/15/shareef-abdur-rahim-gets-his-degree-from-berkeley/

However, in all those years I don't remember a stage parent quite like Lavar Ball. I remember a lot of players whose dads played in the NBA, and they seemed to display more of a healthy attitude of support rather than bravado.

I don't think anyone has seen a basketball parent like Lavar. He's not doing his kids any favors in his pursuit to become rich & famous on their backs.

Like your school, we've had a few players return to get their degrees, but the large majority at any school don't. It's much more common for professional athletes to not have a backup plan, after they leave the game. Many of them end up filing bankruptcy. With kids being drafted on potential rather than skill in recent years, that will probably get worse. Too many of them don't realize it's about the second contract not the first. They don't stay in college long enough to be ready to play in the NBA or get a good start on their education. Most of them aren't mature enough to be able to handle making that much money to secure their future. Those who are advising them are letting them down. They're still kids for the most part. It's really a shame that so many people put the onus on these kids to support the entire family, friends, coaches, etc. A lot of their money is spent there. If they don't live up to potential, it's gone.

It's looking like the NBA is realizing one & done isn't working for the NBA or NCAA. Adam Silver has expressed interesting in changing the rule. Hopefully, only the truly elite will be going to the NBA after high school like it once was. That's not even one a year. The others will be forced to stay in college at least two years or go to the G-league or overseas. Those who choose college will be forced to take education more seriously. Those who don't care about education will be forced to pursue other options. Unfortunately, there will always be some who don't think they need even a basic education.