On more than one occasion, LaVar Ball, the bloviating patriarch of a trio of five-star basketball recruits, has made the absurd proclamation that his son Lonzo is, right now, better than Steph Curry. It’s an idea so laughable that it hardly merits a response. But more than that, it’s shameless ploy for media attention that continues to work wonders for the Ball family and their burgeoning shoe and apparel company.
Still, one can’t help but wonder what Curry himself thinks about all this, so in a recent interview with the Charlotte Observer, Scott Fowler went ahead and posed the question.
Curry, normally so measured and diplomatic in his responses, actually offered praise for their hustle, but couldn’t resist taking a couple of swipes at the boorish elder Ball.
Via Fowler:
Curry laughingly said Sunday that calling Lonzo Ball better than Curry at this point in both players’ careers was a testament to LaVar Ball’s “insanity.”
But Curry otherwise steered clear of the elder Ball’s hyperbole and also noted that Lonzo Ball had worn some of Curry’s Under Armour signature shoes for part of the NBA’s Summer League. Curry seemed somewhat amused by the whole topic.
Chuckled Curry of LaVar Ball: “I don’t know him at all. … They (the Ball family) are obviously unique and they are doing it their way. You can say a lot about the power in that. … And I think Lonzo wore my shoes. Hey, that’s somebody who wants to wear my shoes!”
Lonzo made another splash at Summer League when we wore a pair of Kobes to a different game, and then the question arose as to whether all of their combined antics were part of some weird strategy to land a shoe deal with one of the big three sneaker companies and/or get Big Baller Brand acquired by one of same.
Either way, Curry obviously isn’t sweating it. The Warriors are still the Warriors. The Lakers, though they have some things to be optimistic about, won’t get anywhere near contention this season or the next (barring some miracle that lands them LeBron James and/or Paul George). And Curry still has a major shoe deal while BBB continues to try to get off the ground.
This, and probably many more future rounds, belong to Curry.
