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LaVar Ball

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Entrepreneur

The Resume

    (October 23, 1968- )
    Born in Los Angeles, California
    CEO of Big Baller Brand (founded in 2016)
    Father of Lonzo Ball (b. 1997), LiAnglo (b. 1998), and LaMelo (b. 2001)
    Played College Basketball (Forward) for West Los Angeles College and later for the Washington State Cougars
    Played for the London Monarchs of the World League of American Football (WLAF; 1995)
    Known for making boisterous - usually highly exaggerated - statements about his sons' basketball prowess
    Attained notoriety for his bizarre, often explosive, rants on cable news shows, such as First Take with Stephen A. Smith (pictured); newfound fame inspired the trending hashtag #LavarBallSays
    Drew national criticism after a heated argument between himself and Fox Sports 1 commentator Kristine Leahy during a 'Herd With Colin Cowherd' segment (May 17, 2017)

Why he might be annoying:

    He makes his entrances with a Vince McMahon strut.
    He has been accused of living vicariously through his sons' careers.
    He may be unintentionally sabotaging his sons' careers with his - sometimes explosive - trash-talking antics.
    His persona overshadowed his sons to the point where some non-sports commentators initially mistook HIM for the basketball player.
    He thinks that his three sons collectively would be worth a $3 billion shoe deal. He backed off a statement he made that his son wouldn't accept an offer other than from the Los Angeles Lakers.
    He was criticized for saying that Lonzo (a college freshman at UCLA) could beat Steph Curry, Russell Westbrook, and LeBron.
    He drew criticism for comparing his kids to Lebron James' kids, noting that they likely wouldn't exceed their father's skill level (Lebron angrily tweeted 'Keep my kids’ name out of your mouth.')
    And despite never having played a minute in the NBA he claimed that he would have 'killed Michael Jordan one-on-one' in his heyday.
    When he unveiled his son's Big Baller line of athletic sneakers - the ZO2 Prime - the price (at nearly $500) was almost universally bashed throughout the sports world, transformed into an internet meme overnight.
    He responded to the flak for overpricing by tweeting 'If you can't afford the Z02s, you're NOT a BIG baller!' (the tweet prompted a stern rebuke from Shaquille O'Neal).
    The negative attention surrounding his comments has made it so that his son would have a target on his back before even entering the NBA (Markelle Fultz saying he would 'try to beat Lonzo at everything,' DeAaron Fox admitting his motivation in beating Lonzo was 'to shut Lavar up').
    He took offense to several comments Kimberly Leahy had made pertaining to him in a previous show and took the grievances directly to during the on-air segment which went viral ('stay in yo lane!')

Why he might not be annoying:

    He has the quintessential 'basketball star' name.
    He excelled as a quarterback at Canoga Park High.
    He averaged between 2.2-2.3 points/rebounds per game (not exactly Jordan-levels but decent).
    He signed with the New York Jets, but was subsequently loaned out to the London Monarchs.
    He returned a year later on the practice squad roster, and later on the Carolina Panthers practice squad, before retiring.
    His over-the-top stunts on cable sports shows have proved to be ratings gold (beating Marcellus Wiley in a mock basketball game, tweaking Charles Barkley on his love of Krispy Kreme, etc.)
    His zany persona (like a black-version of Al Bundy) is mostly an act utilized to promote his business and his sons' careers.
    He created the Big Baller Brand so that his three sons could play on the same team.
    He was applauded by many for his decision to create a brand that would free his sons' from being beholden to corporate entities like Nike, Puma, or Adidas (even if those same people think he should 'tone it down').
    His beef with Leahy began after she made a flippant comment about his kids being 'terrified of him' (insinuating that he might be an abusive father).
    When he then confronted her during the 'Cowherd' interview she twisted his words to claim that he 'disrespects all women' and was 'threatening her' for talking about bad karma (she later cried on shows about how she wanted him banned from the airwaves).
    Lonzo declined to say much about his father, but did publish a Fathers Day tribute piece honoring him. It read 'I know there are a lot of kids who aren't lucky enough to have a father figure in their lives ... So regardless of what anyone else thinks of you, I'm just incredibly thankful to have you as my dad. If I didn't have you as an influence in my life, I don't think I'd be in the position I am today. Actually, I know I wouldn't.'

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 102 Votes: 37.25% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 254 Votes: 68.90% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 835 Votes: 57.60% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 1450 Votes: 66.83% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 218 Votes: 48.17% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 2605 Votes: 70.17% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 4301 Votes: 64.96% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 100 Votes: 74.00% Annoying