For once, I don’t think LaVar Ball is being bombastic, exaggerating, or just talking out his ***.
LaVar is the outspoken father of the recent No. 2 pick of the Lakers Lonzo Ball, plus he has another son now at UCLA as a basketball player, and a third that is a high school junior and highly recruited. Ball recently joined the CBS Sports Flagrant Two podcast and in the wake of the ongoing NCAA college basketball scandal was asked if he had received “illegal offers” to help steer his sons somewhere (hat tip Eye on Basketball).“Every summer. They keep coming every summer to get me to say ‘yes.’ They offered you money, they offered to take care of the AAU team (LaVar runs), they’re gonna give everybody uniforms, everybody shoes. I mean, it’s just, any kind of way.
But see the word got out that LaVar don’t need that. Someone even had a false accusation that said, ‘Oh LaVar asked me for $200,000.’ I was like, ‘Wow, that’s funny.’ What am I gonna do with $200,000? After I’ve bought a car and paid some bills I’m stuck right where I’m at. So $200,000 ain’t gonna do nothing.”
Not every family is in the position to think a couple hundred thousand is nothing. LaVar is right when he goes on to say that money is a short-term fix for most and it comes with a lot of strings, but saying no to it is not easy for everyone.
However, I do not doubt for a second LaVar’s comments that he’s been offered money and more to help steer his sons to certain schools or agents. Not in the least. College recruiting is a dirty, dirty business, and this scandal has simply put common practices in the spotlight. Right now shoe companies and runners are getting nailed, but that web is going to grow and ensnare some agents as well.