Postgame Press: Parenting's place in professional sports

Parents are a breed unto their own. Some kids love them, others not so much. Sports have had a long and complicated relationship with parents. Michael Jordan won his first title since his father’s murder on Father’s Day, resulting in an emotional display during the celebration. As of last year, Kirk Cousins lived with his parents or his in-laws for the majority of the year. In any case, everyone has a different relationship with their parents. The same can be said for professional athletes.

The father that has everyone’s attention right now is LaVar Ball, who has been a media star since last year. When his son Lonzo was declaring for the NBA draft from UCLA, LaVar made outrageous claims about Lonzo’s talent (as well as his own). It seemed as though LaVar was saying anything he could to get attention, true or not. It certainly worked. (I'm thinking of comparisons to the current political sphere, but I digress.)

This week, LaVar spoke out about Lonzo’s future with the Los Angeles Lakers and threatened that at the end of Lonzo’s contract, his re-signing will depend on whether Lonzo's two younger brothers are also signed to play alongside him.

I defended LaVar Ball for most of his comments while Lonzo was playing in college. I could account for his comments about Lonzo’s unbelievable talent and his trash talk about other players by saying that he is a parent. Parents like to brag about their kids, especially when it is clear that their children are really talented. I also thought of his absurd claims as ways to get his son more attention, allowing him to realize a high draft selection and more media love (which, he admitted, was his ploy). He was a parent then, and still is a great husband and father in the public eye. But now is the time to draw the line at his interference in business.

LaVar is allowed to have a say through Lonzo. He can advise Lonzo and he can speak openly about what is going on in his head, but making threats to get his less-talented sons jobs? That is simply absurd. If the Lakers get held hostage into offering contracts to non-NBA-caliber players, it sets a precedent. Who is to say that the next top prospect will refuse to play for a team unless his brother gets a $500,000 check despite his being a mediocre pickup basketball player? Obviously, that's an extreme case, but threatening teams is distasteful and strenuous on the player-team relationship. The worst part is that if a team cares that much about keeping the player, it may lead to the team making concessions to the demands. Again, Lonzo could make such a statement, as it is truly his decision to stay or leave, but this was LaVar. He is overstepping his bounds as a parent and should rein it in before he changes his son’s career, or the NBA, for the worse.