Ever since he was still learning the fundamentals of the game at Chino Hills high school, LaMelo Ball was already drawing plenty of mixed reviews from scouts, analysts, and the media.
And now that we’re on the verge of watching LaMelo walk his first steps in the pros as he’ll be a top pick in the NBA Draft, the reviews, takes, and concerns about him are once again and an all-time high.
That’s why Skip Bayless recently went on record to say that LaMelo wasn’t born to be a 1st overall pick because, just like his brother Lonzo, he just lacks that drive and competitive desire to be the best:
“LaMelo Ball was not born to go #1. Because like his brother Lonzo, there’s something missing in the makeup of these kids. You know how much I loved Lonzo coming out of UCLA (…) as I watch LaMelo, and I’ve only watched the highlights, and he’s been all over the world playing basketball. There’s never been a high school basketball player more traveled than this kid before the Draft. (…) I’m seeing a kid who’s got the weirdest, funkiest three-point shot (…)” Bayless started.
https://twitter.com/undisputed/status/1329083528953294849
If that wasn’t enough, Bayless doubled-down on his take by blaming LaVar Ball for the way he raised his sons, claiming that they were spoiled.
“I’m seeing these kids are spoiled rotten by their father. And I enjoyed his father when we had him on but LaVar destroyed the first coming out, Lonzo, when he said he was going to be better than Steph Curry before he dribbled one ball in the NBA. You can’t paint that big a target on the kid’s back,” Bayless concluded.
The Ball kids are spoiled rotten. I don’t see the drive in any of them. While LaVar is straight out of Compton, these kids are straight out of Chino Hills. More @Undisputed, now on FS1 https://t.co/rPLY5h9wug
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) November 18, 2020
We know Skip tends to overreact and oversell everything he says but, in all fairness, the Ball brothers have brought this upon themselves. They’ve always seemed to care more about flashy plays, views, social media, or anything else than basketball or improving their game.
Then again, there’s no denying LaMelo’s talent and he has the upside to become a franchise player in the NBA, so hopefully, he’s learned from his brother’s and father’s mistakes and he’ll actually live up to his potential.
