ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins has seen enough of the LaMelo Ball disrespect. After the Charlotte Hornets shipped Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the criticism came fast. People questioned whether Ball really makes the team better. Perkins had a response ready for First Take, and he didn’t hold back.
“It’s a lot of people out here that don’t take LaMelo Ball serious. And I don’t know what’s the problem. I don’t know why people feel like this man is not a hooper or a competitor,” Perkins said. “I don’t know if it’s because he has the IG followers — he posts on IG — or he has the tattoos. But when this man steps in between the lines, this man goes out there and give people that work.”
Perkins didn’t stop there. He pointed to Ball’s numbers from two seasons ago — roughly 25 points and eight assists a night — and argued that Ball sacrificed his own stats this past season for the good of the Hornets. The result? Charlotte snuck into the Play-In tournament, which nobody saw coming when the season started.
Now Ball pairs with Anthony Edwards in Minnesota. And Perkins thinks that backcourt is going to be a nightmare for the rest of the Western Conference.
“I don’t give a damn if it is in the Western Conference. Tell me how you’re going to game-plan for it,” Perkins said. “Tell me if teams are going to be allowed to send a trap and a double team now to Anthony Edwards to get the ball out of his hands.”
LaVar Ball Doesn’t Do Small Predictions
You knew LaVar Ball was going to have something to say. The man never lets a microphone go unused. After the trade, LaVar went on First Take and made his expectations clear: championship or bust. But there’s a catch.
“Let me give you the recipe. You got to get the two other Ball boys. It will be the most-watched team ever in the NBA,” LaVar said. “Melo can’t win it by himself, but I’ll tell you, with his brothers, I’ll guarantee y’all a championship. Together you can’t beat em.”
He threw in a practical pitch too. “You can get Lonzo damn near for nothin’. You can get Gelo damn near for nothin’. … Whenever them Ball boys together, can’t lose!”
Lonzo Ball’s health is still a question mark after years of knee issues, and LiAngelo Ball hasn’t stuck in the league since going undrafted in 2018. But LaVar’s not worried about logistics. He sees three brothers on one roster as an automatic title, and he’s not interested in hearing otherwise.
For now, the Timberwolves have one Ball brother locked in alongside one of the most explosive scorers in the league. What happens next — whether they make a play for the other Balls or stay put — is anyone’s guess. But the Wolves just became the most talked-about team in the NBA this offseason, and they haven’t even held a practice yet.
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