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"He's going to get a lot of people coming at him" - When Pat Bev admitted he targeted Lonzo because of LaVar's exaggerated comments
"He's going to get a lot of people coming at him" - When Pat Bev admitted he targeted Lonzo because of LaVar's exaggerated comments

Yahoo

time11-08-2025

  • Sport
  • Yahoo

"He's going to get a lot of people coming at him" - When Pat Bev admitted he targeted Lonzo because of LaVar's exaggerated comments

"He's going to get a lot of people coming at him" - When Pat Bev admitted he targeted Lonzo because of LaVar's exaggerated comments originally appeared on Basketball Network. Lonzo Ball had quite the introduction into the NBA. Selected with the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by his hometown Los Angeles Lakers, his arrival came with more noise than most rookies ever have to endure. The noise wasn't entirely of his own making either; it was manufactured, magnified and multiplied by the presence of his outspoken father, LaVar Ball. In the months leading up to the draft, LaVar had done just about everything to place a spotlight on his son, boldly predicting that Lonzo would not only be the best player in the draft but also a better player than Stephen Curry. The defensive statement Lonzo's first official taste of the NBA came against Patrick Beverley, who was fresh off a season in which he'd been named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team and had just picked up the league's Hustle Award. In short, Beverley was not the type of opponent one would want to ease into the league against. There would be no easing in — Pat came into that game with a purpose. "I told him, due to all the riff-raff his dad brings, he's going to get a lot of people coming at him and he has to be ready for that," Beverley said later. "He has to perform on a stage like this every night. It's not only going to be me. It's going to be a lot of people trying to go at his head." True to his word, Beverley made it a point to hound the rookie across the floor, pressuring him full court, stripping the ball from him, barking in his ear and holding him to just three points on 1-for-6 shooting. Ball managed only four assists and nine rebounds in 29 minutes. For someone touted as a generational playmaker, it was an underwhelming debut, and Beverley knew it. It wasn't enough that Patrick had dominated him on the floor. As the final buzzer sounded, he chased one tunnel while Lonzo headed down another, shaken and speechless. He screamed about "weak a— motherf—r," making sure Zo left the court with more than just a bruised stat sheet. This was a message that the NBA wasn't going to be easy, and if his father was going to talk, Lonzo was going to have to pay the flame dimmed The hype surrounding Zo had been building for years. From his standout high school days at Chino Hills to his electric freshman season at UCLA, where he averaged 14.6 points and 7.6 assists per game, Ball was billed as the next great floor general. However, much of that excitement was stirred into frenzy by LaVar, who had turned the Ball family into a brand, launched Big Baller Brand and regularly drew media attention with his wild takes and staged theatrics. That pressure, though, didn't translate into immediate success. Lonzo wasn't technically a bad player — he had some good nights like scoring a then-career high 29 points and had 11 rebounds and nine assists in just his second NBA game — but he was largely consistent during his rookie season with the Lakers. The oldest Ball brother struggled with his shooting form, often criticized for his awkward mechanics and inconsistency. He also battled shoulder and knee injuries that limited him to just 52 games. And the following season, after showing some progress, Zo suffered an ankle sprain that sidelined him again. The Lakers, needing to make room for a superstar, packaged Ball along with Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart to the New Orleans Pelicans in the blockbuster trade that brought Anthony Davis to Los Angeles in 2019. While Ball showed glimpses of improvement with the Pelicans, better shooting numbers, improved defensive presence and more confident decision-making, the fanfare that once surrounded him had quieted. LaVar's voice, too, faded from the headlines. The NBA had moved on from the spectacle. What remained was a young point guard trying to carve out a steady career without the burden of exaggerated story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 4, 2025, where it first appeared.

"I think it's a waste of time" - Tracy McGrady explains why it's pointless for young players to play in the G-League
"I think it's a waste of time" - Tracy McGrady explains why it's pointless for young players to play in the G-League

Yahoo

time17-06-2025

  • Sport
  • Yahoo

"I think it's a waste of time" - Tracy McGrady explains why it's pointless for young players to play in the G-League

"I think it's a waste of time" - Tracy McGrady explains why it's pointless for young players to play in the G-League originally appeared on Basketball Network. The G-League is a professional basketball league that serves as the NBA's developmental platform for players, coaches, referees, and even front-office personnel. It is basketball's version of the Minor League in baseball, where players hone their skills and earn experience with the hopes that they will one day get a call-up from the mother teams. Advertisement But while the G-League has helped many players reach their goals and fulfill their dreams, Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady thinks it's just a waste of time for these youngsters. "A lot of these guys are spending their time in the G League. For me, I think it's a waste of time because the G League isn't really paying money like that," said McGrady. "I think it's 30, 25, 35 thousand dollars what they're paying or something like that, versus overseas where you can make a real good living. You know, hundreds of thousands of dollars. Even some leagues are paying a million dollars." Pat Bev signed a two-year $4 million deal to play in Israel Currently, the standard G-League contract is $40,500.00 for a five-month season. Players drafted and assigned to the G-League on a two-way contract make much more at $578,576, but only 60 players are drafted per class. Still, that's peanuts compared to the $1.157 million minimum salary a player with zero experience makes if he is signed to the NBA. Advertisement Big man Ariel Hukporti of Germany, the last player taken in the 2024 NBA Draft at No.58, signed a standard contract with the New York Knicks worth $5.7 million for two years with a guarantee of $1.064 million. Hukporti ended up playing 217 minutes across 25 games for the Knicks. Meanwhile, former L.A. Clippers guard Patrick Beverley signed a two-year $4 million deal with Hapoel Tel Aviv BC of the Israeli Basketball League last year. Pat Bev had a decent season, averaging 10.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. Beverley, however, left Hapoel last February after negotiating a mutual termination of the contract. Still, he easily cleared the $1 million mark playing in Israel. Most youngsters still trust the G-League process Despite the disparity in pay, most NBA aspirants still go the G-League route when it comes to fulfilling their dreams, and many have been successful. In the last nine NBA seasons, at least 30 G-Leaguers received a call-up from their mother teams. This number is impressive, considering there are only 60 players picked in the NBA Draft every year. Also, a record 50 percent of players in the NBA during the 2023-24 season had G League experience. Advertisement Most notably, the most successful G-Leaguer in the NBA today is OKC Thunder guard Alex Caruso, who won a championship with the 2020 Los Angeles Lakers. Caruso was named to the All-Defensive first team in 2023 and second team in 2024. AC signed a four-year $81 million extension deal with the Thunder last December. Another successful G-Leaguer in the NBA is Miami Heat sharpshooter Duncan Robinson, who inked a five-year $90 million contract with the Miami Heat in 2021. T-Mac makes sense from the financial point of view. However, most continue to trust the G-League process, and the success stories of Caruso and Robinson inspire them even more to work harder. Related: Tracy McGrady thinks Jamaal Tinsley has better handles than Kyrie Irving: "Probably the best I've seen" This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 14, 2025, where it first appeared.

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