The AAU contest featuring LaMelo Ball and Zion Williamson Wednesday was one LeBron James had planned on catching, but upon arriving he quickly decided against it.
According to ESPN’s Myron Medcalf, the Cashman Center in Las Vegas was so packed that police needed to block the door and ordered a barricade to keep people out.
James, upon arriving, chatted with “people associated with the Adidas Uprising Summer Championships and opted to turn around without ever getting out of his vehicle, a source told ESPN.com,” per Medcalf. “There were security concerns,” the source said.
Additionally, an officer ordered the hospitality room garage door to be closed as coaches with credentials to get into the game were denied entrance.
“They oversold this,” a law enforcement official told ESPN.com. “Way oversold.”
Of course, BigBallerBrand coach LaVar Ball had something to say about all of this, noting, “They’re gonna have to get a bigger venue,” he said. “When the Big Baller Brand come to town, better get something big.”
Ball also gloated about James’ interest in the game as a need to “see them Ball boys,” while making it clear James isn’t a big deal to him.
“He’s not the biggest player to me,” LaVar Ball said. “The biggest players to me are my boys. I don’t care about no LeBron. LeBron do his thing, I just worry about my boys. I don’t worry about all that other stuff.”
All who were in attendance were treated to a tremendous game that saw Ball’s team fall to Williamson and SC Supreme, 104-92. Williamson scored 28 points for his squad to win the Adidas Uprising Summer Championships game, while Ball scored 31 points in defeat.