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Instantaneously after Adam Silver announced that the Lakers were drafting Lonzo Ball in tonight’s NBA draft, ESPN stuck a microphone and camera in the face of Lonzo’s father, LaVar Ball. The eldest Ball, wearing a Big Baller Brand tie and hat, claimed that his son would lead the Lakers to the playoffs in his rookie season. Ben Simmons clearly didn’t care much for what LaVar had to say:
Crazy pills
— Ben Simmons (@BenSimmons25) June 22, 2017
That was a very unsubtle subtweet. Then came Joel Embiid to, as he often does, throw down the hammer on Twitter and send everyone into a frenzy:
Please dunk on him so hard that his daddy runs on the court to save him.. https://t.co/cMvt5RYiSQ
— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) June 22, 2017
I love it. LOVE it. Bring back the Sixers and Lakers rivalry of yesteryear. This is all entertaining before remembering that newly-minted first-overall pick Markelle Fultz has had beef with the Ball family throughout the college basketball season, as both Fultz and Lonzo matched up in the Pac-12 conference. Fultz literally said that he wants to beat Ball in “everything I do,” last week.
I have a feeling that the first Sixers vs. Lakers game this season might make an appearance on national television.