Los Angeles Lakers: Top 10 moments from 2017-18 NBA season

3. LaVar Ball attacks Luke Walton and team responds with winning streak

A bubbling side-plot for this entire season has been the outspoken LaVar Ball, father to Lonzo and inspiration for one of the best SNL personas of the past decade. Without getting into Ball himself — yes, he should be commended for looking out for his kids, especially when so many NBA players did not have a dad looking out for them; and yes, his antics are ridiculous and his business dealings potentially illegal — one particular event bears mention.

After the team’s big win in Houston over the Rockets, the Lakers entered a slide. Facing a stretch where seven of nine opponents were heading for an above-.500 finish, the Lakers lost all nine. LaVar Ball decided to use that time to make his opinion known, telling ESPN‘s Jeff Goodman that head coach Luke Walton had lost the locker room, and that the players “didn’t want to play for him” anymore.

The Lakers did not respond in kind, but rather chose not to address Ball directly. Instead the team quietly made it known that their commitment to Walton was secure. The players responded in their own way, immediately winning their next game and eight of their next 10.

Walton’s response was the best, perfectly in line with his laid-back persona and dry sense of humor. When asked about subbing out Lonzo Ball the night of the comments, Walton responded that the point guard’s father was to blame.

What looked like a potential problem before the season increasingly became a non-issue. That isn’t to say LaVar Ball won’t make his opinions known moving forward, but as the season progressed, his voice was increasingly minimized. The Lakers have a strong group leading them forward, and no one’s father has the power to shake that.