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“Nervous is when somebody got a gun to your head”: LaMelo Ball gives an amazingly mature response when the Hornets star was questioned about NBA pressure

Amulya Shekhar
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LaMelo Ball gave an interview answer that proves just how amazing LaVar Ball was as a father to 3 kids who’ve grown to become hoopers.

The amount of hate that the Ball brothers have gotten over the past 5 years or so is barely believable at this point. These are 3 talented, hard-working young men, of whom only LiAngelo has any black mark in their past (his shoplifting incident during a UCLA China tour).

Yet, when Lonzo Ball was drafted no. 2 overall by the LA Lakers in 2017, he saw all kinds of negativity. People were baying for his blood, waiting for him to fail before he’d even set foot on the court.

All of this only happened because LaVar Ball was a tad overenthusiastic while talking his own kids up. LaVar went on several national sports talk shows and gassed his kids in front of all of USA.

Where ordinarily 3 such brothers would receive a great amount of love, LaVar’s bluster proved counterproductive. People’s sharper knives and the Lakers front office’s short run of patience meant that Lonzo was a keystone in the AD trade.

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Since that year, his brother LaMelo Ball has been selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the no. 3 pick. In contrast to Lonzo, LaMelo has had a lot more love thrown his way in his initial NBA seasons.

LaMelo Ball gives a level-headed answer about high stakes and pressure in NBA basketball

Ultimately, the Ball Brothers trio have known for a while that they’re meant for the biggest stages. The ability to maintain composure and play through pressure-cooker situations is an integral part of being an elite sportsperson.

LaVar Ball seems to have trained his kids in good stead when it comes to such situations. That’s what we can glean from the answer that LaMelo Ball gave in a recent interview when asked about pressure on basketball courts:

“The way my pоps had mе, yоu can’t get nеrvous in baskеtball. Yоu’re nеrvous when yоu dоn’t havе nowhere to go, sоmeone has a gun to yоur hеad or yоu dоn’t have any food. But playing baskеtball? Nah. Never nervous.”

Also Read – “Warriors fam, we’ll figure this out if it’s the last thing I do”: Stephen Curry prophetically tweeted about turning Golden State’s fortunes around in 2009, and has delivered in spectacular fashion

One of the most desirable traits within any young prospect in a sport is their ability to keep a level head. Melo’s attitude is fully in line with that of the greats.

About the author

Amulya Shekhar

Amulya Shekhar

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Amulya Shekhar is a sports junkie who thrives on the thrills and frills of live sports action across basketball, football (the American variant works too), parkour, adventure sports. He believes sports connect us to our best selves, and he hopes to help people experience sports more holistically.

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