LaVar Ball Has Brought Michael Jordan’s Kids Into Their ‘Rivalry’ and Has Now Proposed a New Idea for a 1-on-1 Matchup
The “rivalry” between LaVar Ball and Michael Jordan has surfaced once again as MJ’s Charlotte Hornets drafted LaMelo Ball with the third pick in the 2020 NBA draft this past Wednesday night. But this was never a real rivalry to begin with as, outside of one known comment from His Airness, LaVar Ball is the only one of the two that really cares about it at all.
Seriously, do you really think that Michael Jordan, a six-time NBA champion, five-time NBA MVP, and arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, sits around and thinks what would happen in a 1-on-1 matchup against a guy that averaged 2.2 points per game at Washington State? Highly unlikely.
But that’s never stopped Ball from continuously trying to make a 1-on-1 game happen with the man that is now his son’s boss, which he’s still doing even now. And speaking of sons, remember when the Big Baller Brand co-founder brought Michael Jordan’s kids into this nonsense?
LaVar Ball once said he could beat Michael Jordan in a 1-on-1 game, even in MJ’s prime
So how did this whole LaVar Ball vs. Michael Jordan “rivalry” get started? This whole mess began back in 2017, the year Lonzo Ball was a freshman at UCLA, when LaVar told USA Today that he’d “kill” Michael Jordan in a 1-on-1 matchup. But he wasn’t just talking about the present day. Ball said that he would take MJ even when he was in his prime. This is what he said back then.
“I would just back (Jordan) in and lift him off the ground and call a foul every time he fouls me when I do a jump hook to the right or the left. He cannot stop me one-on-one. He better make every shot ’cause he can’t go around me. He’s not fast enough. And he can only make so many shots outside before I make every bucket under the rim.”
LaVar Ball on Michael Jordan
Again, this is a chance to remind you that in his only season playing Division I basketball, which was the 1987-1988 NCAA season, LaVar Ball averaged 2.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, and one assist per game for the Washington State Cougars. As for what Michael Jordan accomplished in the 1987-1988 season with the Chicago Bulls, all he did was average 35 points, 5.9 assists, 5.5 rebounds, 3.2 steals per game, and win both NBA MVP and Defensive Player of the Year.
Six months after Ball’s initial comments, Jordan finally addressed them at his Flight School basketball camp.
“You’ve got to understand the source. He played, I think, college, maybe? He averaged 2.2 points per game. Really? It doesn’t dignify an answer, but I’m going to give it to you because you asked the question. I don’t think he could beat me if I was one-legged.”
Michael Jordan on LaVar Ball
One would think that would be the end of it but if there’s anything we know about LaVar Ball, he’s not going to stop talking and even went so far as to bring Michael Jordan’s kids into it.
LaVar Ball ridiculously brought Michael Jordan’s sons into the conversation
In April 2020, LaVar Ball went on another delusional rant that he could beat Michael Jordan in a 1-on-1 matchup but then took the ridiculous route of bringing Jordan’s sons, Jeffrey and Marcus, into the conversation. Ball seemed to be saying that since his sons were better basketball players than Jordan’s, which is true, that automatically makes him the winner in a 1-on-1 matchup, which would be false if the game ever took place. As you can see in the above video, here’s what Ball had to say.
“I would lift him [Jordan] off his feet. Too strong. Too fast. And to show you how good I was, he had sons, too. Why they not as good as my sons? That just shows you it was oozing out of me.”
LaVar Ball
Yes, Lavar Ball is right about his sons being better basketball players than Michael Jordan’s sons. All three of Ball’s boys, Lonzo, LaMelo, and LiAngelo are now pro players while Jordan’s sons topped out at the collegiate level. But what does that have to do with anything?
Kenyon Martin’s son was just drafted by the Houston Rockets so does that mean that Kenyon Martin is better than Michael Jordan? Arvydas Sabonis has a kid in the league right now so is he better than MJ? You see where we’re going with this. It’s nonsense. But it’s LaVar Ball talking so that’s par for the course.
He now wants a 1-on-1 matchup with MJ on pay-per-view
Naturally, when Michael Jordan’s Charlotte Hornets drafted LaMelo Ball with the No. 3 overall pick of the 2020 NBA draft, all of Lavar Ball’s comments about Jordan began to resurface. Twitter went crazy and so many different outlets began writing about how the 1-on-1 matchup could finally happen.
And the moment certainly wasn’t lost on LaVar Ball, who told ESPN that he still wants that 1-on-1 matchup with Jordan. But it’s not something he’s looking to do behind closed doors at a Hornets practice. No, Ball wants a pay-per-view audience with guaranteed money and such.
He seems to think that if people will drop 50 bucks to watch 54-year-old Mike Tyson fight, people would spend money to watch him get whooped by Michael Jordan. Okay, we added that last part but he still thinks people would tune in.
Could the LaVar Ball vs. Michael Jordan 1-on-1 game actually happen? Hey, if it gets Ball to stop talking, I’m all for it.
