LaVar Ball wants to control every aspect of his sons’ basketball lives, and he’s not pleased with the decision of Vytatus coach Virginijus Seskus to not start LiAngelo or LaMelo in a recent game.
According to Lithuanian basketball reporter Donatas Urbonas, Ball said Seskus “threw my friendship out the window.”
LaVar Ball was mad that Melo and Gelo didn't start the game vs Zalgiris yesterday despite scoring 19 and 25 points respectively. LaVar told that Vytautas coach Seskus threw their friendship through the window by not starting them. LKL Champion Zalgiris beat Vytautas 118:96 pic.twitter.com/CrJMEEtCNb
— Donatas Urbonas (@Urbodo) February 5, 2018
As Urbonas notes, LiAngelo scored 25 points and LaMelo added 19 in a 22-point loss to Zalgiris, one of the country’s best teams.
In fairness to the family patriarch, the starting point guard didn’t play well. Rashaun Broadus connected on just 2-of-7 attempts while recording a minus-eight net rating. But he only logged 13 minutes anyway compared to 28 for LaMelo.
This is simply another example of LaVar overstepping what is commonly accept as a boundary. Coaches typically don’t want input from parents. Granted, Vytautus obviously invited the attention, and allowing him to be an assistant coach for a recent friendly won’t help quiet Ball.
It’s a safe bet Ball will continue being loud about this matter until it changes.
