Latest posts by Sam Amico (see all)
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NBA coaches have heard enough from LaVar Ball and appear to have had it with the people who are giving him a voice.
Now, some coaches even intend to ask their media-relations staffs to revoke or deny credentials to writers who interview Ball, multiple league sources told Amico Hoops on Sunday.
The outrage from the NBA Coaches Association stems from an ESPN report in which Ball, the father of Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball, is highly critical of Lakers coach Luke Walton.
“Luke doesn’t have control of the team no more,” Ball told ESPN. “They don’t want to play for him.”
Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle is the president of the coaches association — and shared his very direct thoughts on the matter with the media Sunday.
“As president of the coaches association, I view the recent ESPN article as a disgrace, quite honestly,” Carlisle told reporters prior to Sunday’s loss to the New York Knicks. “Luke Walton is a terrific, young coach who is bringing along a young team. It’s a difficult task. If you don’t believe it, just ask me. We’re going through that now and went through it last year.”
Carlisle wasn’t finished.
“Printing an article where the father of an NBA player has an opinion that is printed as anything like legitimate erodes trust,” he said. “It erodes the trust that we’ve built with ESPN, and our coaches are upset because Luke Walton does not deserve that.”
Several coaches interviewed by Amico Hoops said they had no plans to try to silence Ball — but even they admitted to being miffed at his comments.
“I don’t have clearance, really, to go on record, but I will someday and I’ll say the same thing then that I’m saying now,” one coach emailed about Ball. “Dude just needs to shut the (expletive) up.”
Also, one opposing league executive told Yahoo Sports, “What’s happening now is that every team’s fears about drafting Lonzo is coming true.”
But can you shut up LaVar Ball simply by restricting the media’s right to cover him?
It’s actually happened before, and in this very league.
Earlier this decade, Cleveland-based reporter and author Scott Raab had his press credentials revoked by the Miami Heat, and was denied credentials by the Cleveland Cavaliers, for doing nothing but writing negatively about LeBron James.
Also, Mavs owner Mark Cuban briefly banned ESPN reporters from the team’s facilities at the start of last season.
Could it happen again? Should it happen again?
Vote here and leave your thoughts in the comments section below — we want to see them!