LaVar Ball may not play for the Los Angeles Lakers, but their newest policy change definitely has everything to do with him.
Monday, ESPN's Chris Haynes reported that the Lakers would be enforcing a policy that would no longer allow the media to gather in the 'family and associates' section of the arena. Following the conclusion of games, friends and family members of players traditionally wait in the section closest to the visiting team's locker room. From this point on, members of the media won't be allowed to conduct interviews in that section.
This season that section has been filled with reporters at Lakers games. Why? Because that's where you can find LaVar Ball post-game. In November LaVar criticized the Lakers coaching staff, labeling them as "soft," and stating that they weren't coaching his son correctly. Wednesday, LaVar spoke to the media following the Lakers 127-123 loss to the Warriors in overtime, criticizing Julius Randle for not passing to his son, and head coach Luke Walton for not calling a timeout.
A spokesperson for the Lakers told ESPN that the policy is not new, and has existed for some time, it just hasn't been enforced. Despite it being an existing policy, some have already dubbed it the 'LaVar Ball rule,' as it's believed that the Lakers are now enforcing the rule to prevent Lonzo's outspoken father from having a post-game platform.
