Thanks for the Seat, But…

Roses are red.

Violets are blue.

Thanks for the seat at the table,

But now we want your chair too.

 

Corporate America, you have been good to our black athletes.

And I’m saying ‘our’ because this is coming from a young, black male’s perspective, and I’m taking advantage of this opportunity to be bias. So deal with it as I continue.

Now, what was I saying again?

Oh, yeah. You’ve been good.

Your table consisting of professional sports leagues, like the NBA and the NFL, has welcomed black players into a land of everything they’ve dreamed about: popularity, paper, and the unparalleled feeling of ‘taking moms out the ‘hood.’

However, I’ve observed that your table doesn’t receive us unless certain costs have been incurred first. When the dotted line is signed, our physicality comes with a fee; our athleticism is seen as an asset, rather than an advantage; and of course, we have to suffer the setback of restricted speech.

As I continue to look around the table, I notice that everyone’s pigment is similar, except for the one in the main chair.

Three-fourths of the NBA is black, and NFL surveys revealed that nearly 70% of its league is African-American. It’s evident that we are qualified enough to be recognized at the table. We’re just not revered as leaders.

However,  because we live in a country that has a past of racial barriers being broken, I would expect history to repeat itself involving sport ownership.

And it’s going to happen soon.

Did you ever think that a crazy, young brother named Ice Cube would start his own successful league for retired NBA players?

Or how about when you thought the slogan ‘Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop’ was only limited to the music industry? The same flashy music mogul who said this is now pursuing an NFL franchise for sale.

And if that don’t do it, here’s the gut-puncher. The loud, obnoxious father who started the Big Baller Brand is looking to compete against college basketball by paying high-school standouts to play in his junior pro league. Not a bad deal for the kids who already feel exploited by the NCAA.

Our competence in a business suit will be respected as much as our skill in a jersey. If you choose to downplay the potential transition of ownership in sports, be my guest. You’ll have to face reality one day. But as for me, I would like to end this encounter with the same way I started.

 

Violets are blue.

Roses are red.

Get ready to give up your chair

Because I would fear everything I just said.

Big ‘Baltic’ Brand?

The dream was absolute, but the father’s plan was simple.

His oldest son would bring Bruin basketball back to prominence, which would transcend him as the Lakers’ 2^nd overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

His youngest boy would become a 5-star recruit, and he, too, would take a shot at becoming UCLA’s next star.

And his middle child… Well, there’s always that one.

LaVar Ball was on his way to becoming an NBA mogul. Powered by his big mouth and his kids’ athletic star power, Big Baller Brand had the potential to leave the nest as a family business and become the next empire in the shoe market.

It’s not too late for LaVar’s vision to transpire, but there are some unique problems that need to be addressed.

Lonzo Ball can’t shoot the ball in the ocean. A 40% three-point shooter at UCLA is shooting 24% from three as a rookie, and has the worst overall field-goal percentage in the NBA.

LaVar made a questionable move by pulling his youngest son, LaMelo, out of public school, so he can train him to be “the best basketball player ever.”

And LiAngelo was one of three UCLA basketball players caught shoplifting at multiple luxury stores in China. He and his two teammates would later be arrested, which resulted in an indefinite suspension from the team.

Why are all of these problems unique? Because they make you wonder ‘How?’

How do you adjust a player’s shooting form when he’s been efficient until now?

How do you tell a father that pulling his child from school isn’t a wise decision when he knows what’s best for his son?

 

And how do you tell LiAngelo that—Actually, his situation should make you wonder “What the hell?” Because that was just stupid.

So, where does all of this leave the Ball family?

A first class ticket to the Baltic League (BBL), where LaMelo and LiAngelo will sign one-year deals to play with Lithuanian basketball club Prienu Vytautas.

Some will argue that this is a classic case of LaVar Ball exploiting his kids. Others will say that this is a great opportunity for these young athletes to mature faster and bloom into stellar professionals.

I say this is the last stretch for the Ball family.

According to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, LiAngelo hasn’t impressed any NBA scouts up to this point, and his chances of making it to the NBA are slim to none. LaMelo, on the other hand, is only 16 with a lot of room to grow. However, he still has to remained disciplined over the years just to have a shot at playing professionally back home.

But if Lonzo doesn’t turn into the game-changer he’s supposed to be for the Laker franchise, the Big Baller Brand will be a Big Bust.