VIDEO: LaVar Ball Claims He'll Fine Lonzo $10,000 if he Misses 3 Free Throws in a Row
By Sean Facey
LaVar Ball has an answer to everything, including free throw woes. In a discussion with Skip Bayless over whether or not the Lakers would trade his eldest son, he claimed that if Lonzo misses three free throws in a row, he'll fine him $10,000.
.@Lavarbigballer: The Lakers won't trade Lonzo. He's marketable. You don't have to worry about him being in trouble. He doesn't do any drugs.
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) June 4, 2019
Skip: But you can't shoot 42% from the FT line
LaVar: It's very easy to fix FTs. It's a mindset. Every time you miss 3 FTs, I want $10K. pic.twitter.com/p0plzzCZfD
"It's very easy to fix free throws," he said about Lonzo's 42% mark from the stripe this season. "It's a mindset. Every time you miss three free throws, I want $10,000."
According to Basketball-Reference, Lonzo missed three consecutive free throws four times in just 48 total attempts last year. Did pops make him cough up $40,000? How would he even do that, exactly?
LaVar's got the right idea in giving his son incentive to execute more frequently from the free throw line, but he's only partially right in his assertion about the mentality behind shooting freebies.
Metta World Peace thinks Lonzo Ball will lead the Lakers to several championships: "He's going to have rings on his fingers." https://t.co/dKPyupZNlf
— Lonzo Wire (@LonzoWire) May 29, 2019
Shooting form can't be ignored at the line. Having the right mindset can only take a player so far. At least in part, Ball needs to develop proper mechanics to eliminate his free throw struggles.
The reasoning behind the fine might be justified, but until someone fixes his form, he's not going to improve much.