The Big Ball Theory

Don't know. I don't get it. He's gotta be working an angle, but I don't know what it is.

 

Wasn't superficial, gaudy stats against lower competition his thing with the middle son?

 

That's not how the European thing typically works. Americans tend to go to Europe and get their asses kicked in limited minutes.

I mean, maybe that's what he's thinking. If he is, this is not going to go well. LaVar is a lot of things, but he's not dumb.

 

Signing bonus? I don't think so.

This is a financially-broke bottom tier club team, based in a village with only a 10k population, that's months behind on the paychecks owed to the players it already has. And the Balls apparently won't even be playing in their Lithuanian League games (the country's better league), but instead only in the less competitive Baltic League.

Forget about a signing bonus, sounds like there's a distinct chance they may not get paid at all.

 

Here's a thought. Maybe there is no play. Perhaps folks overseas simply aren't as enamored with the Balls as ESPN, American teenagers and yourself. And thus they simply got no better offers. It's either this or sit at home in Chino Hills.

From a purely basketball perspective, what exactly is there to entice a serious overseas team? The older kid is a very mediocre prospect, rated only a 3 star HS recruit, who never played a single college game. The younger kid, although he shows real talent, is merely a 16-year-old ill-equipped to face grown men, whose game tapes display a style of play abhorred in Europe (blatant cherrypicking--to the point of not even crossing half court, no defensive effort, shameless showboating/ballhoggery).

The only real reason to sign them is for the publicity and PR impact, which is likely why this financially-distressed outfit is doing so out of desperation. But from a serious basketball perspective, it makes not much sense at all.

 

So, no hope they'll be wearing these?

 

If it's this or Chino Hills, it's Chino Hills.

I get why the Lithuanian team might make the PR gesture.

I don't get what LaVar is doing, because I don't believe the boys are ever playing for the team in Lithuania. Honestly, there are no good options for them at this stage. Gelo isn't good enough and Melo isn't old enough. He needs to come up with something, but this ain't it.

 

OK, so let's say they instead decide to sit at home in Chino Hills. Do you think they're gonna get better offers next year after doing nothing this year (besides a shoplifting arrest) but sitting on their ass not playing?

You now seem surprised that the "penniless small Lithuanian village club team" is the best they could do. But I'm not sure why. Did you really think the top Euro or Chinese teams would be coming after them with big money offers? I knew there was zero chance of that from the moment I heard about Lavar's cockamamie plan.

Are you, perhaps, beginning to now see how Lavar has fucked with his kids' futures? Can't ever play college basketball (the best fit for both of them), he killed that option. Can't play professionally on this side of the ocean. And nothing but the bottom of the barrel options seem interested overseas. Is it possible Lavar's not quite the shrewd operator you've presumed him to be?

 

No one thinks one of the lower-tier minor leagues here might make a run at them?

 

Did you actually read my posts?

I haven't suggested they can do better. I said I don't believe they are going to play in Lithuania. I mean, do you believe the Balls are really going to suit up in some small village in Lithuania for a shitty little club team that doesn't pay its players and can't even afford to practice? Because I do not believe that's going to happen.

And I've been pretty clear from the beginning -- I find LaVar entertaining, and I don't get why he makes all of you so damn mad. That's pretty much the extent of my view on LaVar. He does a lot of ridiculous shit. He has an inflated view of his kids' talents. He's also a grade A hustler, and not nearly as dumb as people like to pretend.

Did he fuck up Gelo's future? Gelo has no pro basketball future. Hard to fuck that up.

Did he fuck up Melo's future? I dunno. Certainly possible. He's got time to figure something out. The Baltic League ain't it.

 

I'm sorry, but this is crap when measured against your prior posts. Hell, just late tonight alone, you've been posting lines like this:

You've been playing this disingenuous game throughout this thread. You'll in one breath suggest Lavar's this real smart cookie, doing no harm, a step ahead of us... But when called on it, fall back on this defense mechanism of "hey, I just find him entertaining, don't know why he makes you guys so damn mad..."

And, I'm sorry, the fact that you've reacted in such a perplexed tone to this Lithuanian deal is revealing. For some of us, it's not perplexing, we already knew they had nearly no value in international basketball. Yet, you come across as surprised. Why? Your history suggests it's because you thought Lavar was "was working an angle" to produce something better. Well, in reality, appears Lavar's just a dumbshit who didn't realize how little his boys were worth in the overseas marketplace.

And you're perhaps right that "Gelo had no pro basketball future..." But, you know, the referenced statement actually was about his general future, and Gelo DID have a COLLEGE basketball future. The dude was a damn solid mid-major prospect--that was his appropriate level, where he fit best--he could've had a successful high scoring mid-major career, maybe even some NCAA tournament glory, and gotten a free education and degree to boot. But those opportunities were forfeited by Lavar, for this dead end instead.

But, dammit, don't say Lavar messed up his future.

 

Or, the Middle Ball could have stayed at UCLA and gotten a degree from one of the best public schools in the country, if nothing else.