LaVar Ball, known for his bold statements, is back in the spotlight with his candid remarks on his sons’ injury woes.
Once the talk of the town during Lonzo’s Lakers draft and LaMelo’s rise to the NBA, LaVar has been relatively quieter as his sons’ careers unfolded. However, a recent interview with CBS Sports’ Bill Reiter has brought him back into the media frenzy.
Lonzo, sidelined since January 14, 2022, due to a meniscus injury, has undergone three knee surgeries, including a cartilage transplant, in hopes of returning to the court.
Meanwhile, LaMelo, facing his third season-ending injury in four NBA seasons, was recently ruled out for the remainder of the 2023-24 season with an ankle injury.
In the interview, LaVar didn’t hold back, attributing his sons’ injury struggles to changes in their training routines.
“They say, ‘Oh, LaVar, you worked the boys out too hard — that’s why they hurt,'” he began.
“No, the reason they hurt is because they got away from me. And they start doing these roody-poo workouts. Because if you keep running them hills, you’re going to keep that power and that strength.
But you start dealing with these rubber bands and doing this lightweight stuff, of course you’re going to start breaking down.”
LaVar emphasized his preference for rigorous hill running as part of his sons’ training regimen, which, according to him, kept them strong and resilient.
He also didn’t shy away from criticizing LaMelo’s signature shoe deal with Puma, citing it as a factor in his chronic ankle issues.
“A lot of things have to do with them raggedy shoes that Melo be wearing,” LaVar expressed.
“Them shoes are not made the right way for him. That’s why he keeps tweaking his ankle every single time.”
LaMelo Ball Shoes
LaVar’s blunt comments on LaMelo’s Puma shoes have piqued curiosity about the young player’s footwear choices.
LaMelo, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, inked a reported $100 million signature shoe deal with Puma. Since then, he has released three versions of his signature shoe — the MB.01, MB.02, and most recently, the MB.03 launched last week.
