Joel Embiid has three words for LaVar Ball, and they're not 'Trust the Process'
We’re still nearly four months away from the opening of the 2017-18 NBA season, but it sure seems like Joel Embiid’s already extremely ready for his Philadelphia 76ers to get their first crack at the Los Angeles Lakers, their prized rookie point guard Lonzo Ball … and, by extension, Lonzo’s famously verbose dad, LaVar.
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The bicoastal beef began broiling during last month’s 2017 NBA draft, when the Lakers selected UCLA star Ball with the No. 2 overall pick to be their point guard of the future. Shortly after the pick was made, Embiid tweeted to his teammate, 2016 No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons, “Please dunk on him so hard that his daddy runs on the court to save him.” Not a whole lot of room for misinterpretation there!
One week after the draft, Papa Ball went on Philly sports radio station 97.5 The Fanatic to discuss all manner of things, including, as you might expect, Embiid’s tweet. His response was just about exactly what you’d figure it would’ve been.
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“I say when you don’t win, and don’t make the playoffs, and don’t even stay on the court long enough, that’s the best thing you can do, is tweet, make some stuff,” Ball said. “Ain’t nobody else doing that because they’re working on their game in the gym. These guys ain’t played a game, always hurt, and at the bottom of the totem pole. So guess what? Get your asses off the goddamn Tweeter, and get in the gym!”
After several days of careful consideration, Embiid offered his measured, practiced, detail-rich reply to the Big Baller Brand CEO on Tuesday while filming himself walking around on Instagram Live. The painstakingly crafted message: “Man, f*** LaVar Ball.”
As catchphrases go, it’s not quite “Trust the Process.” And yet, I’m betting Sixers fans — and folks across the nation inflamed by LaVar’s heat-seeking heel persona — will enjoy chanting it nearly as much.
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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!
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