One of the most outrageous and widely shared moments of the NBA offseason occurred when LaVar Ball lit up the internet.
The controversial Ball family patriarch recently competed in a TikTok segment comparing NBA players in a rapid-fire fashion. His shocking interpretation of Ja Morant, however, was the most divisive.
After pausing to grin, LaVar calmly responded, “I’m not sure between Victor Wembanyama and Ja Morant.”
“I have to go with Ja Morant… cause he might shoot me.”
The internet exploded.
The comment was not just brutally bold, it revived the infamous gun-related controversy surrounding Morant, who was suspended twice in 2023 for brandishing firearms on Instagram Live.
Even though Morant has since kept his nose clean, Ball’s joke instantly rekindled the memes and madness that haunted the Memphis Grizzlies-star for nearly a full year.
LaVar didn’t stop there. When the question shifted to Ja Morant versus Jaylen Brown, he doubled down, saying:
“Ja Morant, cause he’s a wild guy. I gotta watch out for him.”
LaVar also gave his signature Big Baller spin on several other comparisons earlier in the video. Between Donovan Mitchel and Gilgeous-Alexander, he picked Shai “because he won the championship.”
Between Shai and Anthony Edwards?
Edwards, “because he got a Sprite commercial.”
Between Edwards and Wembanyama? Wemby — “because he can do it all, the 7-foot man.”
And when asked to choose between Wemby and Trae Young, LaVar replied:
“Victor… cause he way taller than Trae Young.”
This was classic LaVar—a mix of confidence, humour, and headline bait—in his impromptu remarks. In contrast to the majority of NBA players and insiders, Ball has no qualms about poking the bear—or the Grizzly—with catchy jokes that go viral. His words have thrust him back into the spotlight of NBA internet culture, despite the turbulence they sparked. Let me give you some background: Ja Morant has a checkered past.
The explosive security guard was demoted in March 2023 after being caught on camera brandishing a firearm during a nightclub Instagram Live broadcast. He spoke with Florida Commissioner Adam Silver and enrolled in a counselling program after the incident. Reform was his public pledge.
However, a few weeks later, Morant unleashed yet another wave of criticism when he showed off a gun on a friend’s live stream—this time from a moving vehicle. Both the Grizzlies and the NBA put him on indefinite suspension; he will miss the first 25 games of the 2023–24 season.
The damage to Morant’s reputation persisted even after he returned and remained clean.
That wound was merely reopened by LaVar’s viral jab. However, as is common for Ball, the discussion quickly shifted gears. In a split second, LaVar Ball shifted gears to defend his son Lonzo Ball from Ja Morant:
“Oh, you lost it. Lonzo Ball, of course. He’s the world’s greatest point god.”
Even Zion Williamson didn’t stand a chance. “Lonzo,” LaVar declared, “because he is LaVar Ball’s son.”
He even sidestepped a decision between Lonzo and LaMelo by quoting a line from LiAngelo Ball’s viral song “Tweaker,” essentially choosing Gelo in the most bizarre twist of all.
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