LaVar Ball says he and his son, LaMelo, would kill Shaquille O’Neal after Shaq said his son, Shareef, was better than Chino Hills High standout LaMelo.
Now that Lonzo Ball has graduated to the NBA, all eyes are on LaMelo Ball — not LiAngelo, since even his father doesn’t think he’ll be an NBA player. Like his older brother, LaMelo is lighting up Chino Hills High and will attend UCLA.
But LaMelo’s not the only highly-touted recruit with a brash father making headlines. Shareef O’Neal, son of Lakers great Shaquille, is committed to Arizona in the class of 2018. Shareef has already talked up his chances against the younger Ball brother, while Shaq himself agrees that his son is better.
But as expected, that comment didn’t sit right with LaVar Ball. When he was pressed on the subject matter, he went as far as to say he could beat Shaq in a basketball game:
https://twitter.com/overtime/status/886419553009487873
LaVar and Shaq’s rivalry dates back to when the ZO2s hit the shelf. He, like many others, were critical about the outrageous $495 price tag attached to it, as well as the fact that he turned down more lucrative brands:
Hey @Lavarbigballer real big baller brands don't over charge kids for shoes. pic.twitter.com/N2U0VPXXyt
— SHAQ (@SHAQ) May 4, 2017
He didn’t make much of a peep about that, but as soon as you involve one of his kids, he becomes extremely overprotective. LaVar may not think as highly of LaMelo as he does Lonzo, but we’re still talking about a kid that dropped 92 points in a game.
To say that Shaq’s son, or anyone else’s son, could beat him is a ridiculous notion to LaVar. But provided that Shareef’s not a one-and-done player, he and LaMelo are due to be Pac-12 rivals in 2019. Like any matter, it’s best to let them settle this on the court.
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Despite LaVar proving to be a constant distraction, Lonzo still went second overall. We’ll see if LaMelo proves talented enough to be a lottery pick as well.
H/T It’s Overtime