After Los Angeles Clippers point guard Patrick Beverley (Arkansas Razorbacks) seemingly slighted Los Angeles Lakers rookie guard Lonzo Ball on Thursday night, LaVar Ball stood up for his son.
According to ESPN.com's Ohm Youngmisuk and Marc J. Spears, Beverley yelled an obscenity, then added, "Bring him out on the court with me and I will tear his ass up," apparently in reference to LaVar Ball.
That prompted the elder Ball to take some shots at Beverley.
"Who is Patrick Beverley? He played all last year and nobody said nothing about him," Ball said. "Now we are looking at your first game. Why? Because Lonzo's name is attached to it."
Ball struggled in his first NBA regular-season game as the 2017 No. 2 overall draft pick finished with 3 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists in a 108-92 loss.
LaVar Ball suggested later that Beverley was that intense during and after Thursday's game only because of the importance of it being Lonzo's NBA debut.
"So you got to be [all hard]," LaVar Ball said. "Let's see what you do the next five games, if you are going to be pumped up towards everybody like that and go back to your 0-for-5 shooting and your 2 or 3 rebounds. Nobody is going to care about you. But you put my son's name in it and you put my name in it, now you got some action and you got some people talking."
Beverley finished the game with 10 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist and 1 block.
Despite Beverley not mentioning either Ball by name during his rant, LaVar was sure who he was referencing, and continued to downplay the Clippers guard.
"You ain't got to say it by name because I saw the way he looked at me when he was on the side of the bench," Ball said. "He was going to see if I can get eye contact. I just looked at him like I looked right past him because he's nobody. You talking to Big Baller.
"One game. OK, you still don't have your own shoe, you are still not your own boss. I know why you are looking at me. And you want to tell me that I got your son. Well I got two more you can try to get some of, too. They will be here, don't worry about it. I don't worry about one game."
Whoops
It appeared Orlando Magic rookie forward Jonathan Isaac was a little nervous about his NBA debut against the Miami Heat on Wednesday night.
Early Friday afternoon, teammate Bismack Biyombo tweeted a video of Isaac realizing he forgot to put his jersey on before taking a seat on the bench.
Those around him enjoyed a laugh before the 20-year-old returned to the locker room for the necessary garment.
Isaac had 4 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks in Orlando's 116-109 victory over Miami.
Go the distance
Denver Broncos running back C.J. Anderson thought he nosed the ball over the goal line on a failed fourth-and-1 play against the Giants last week, and replays showed he had a point.
The officials ruled otherwise. The goal-line stand proved crucial in New York's 23-10 victory.
"Next time I won't make it so close," Anderson said. "Next time I get to that, I'll definitely make it clear-cut and be in the end zone to celebrate with my teammates. I'm touching the back of the white line, 110 yards, I'll be in there. Ten yards, I'm in there."
Sports on 10/21/2017