De’Aaron Fox speaks on Lavar Ball

In a recent Sports Illustrated profile, De’Aaron Fox spoke about the ongoing sound bites and controversial takes issued by Lonzo Ball’s father, Lavar.

Fox said in the profile that going into the game, he wanted to shut Lavar Ball up.

"Kill mode all the time," is how Fox described his mindset before the UCLA game in March. "Shut Lavar Ball up," is how he explains it a few months later.

Fox did just that in the Sweet 16 matchup between the Wildcats and Bruins, scoring 39 points on 13-20 shooting and 13-15 from the free throw line. Fox only committed one turnover in that game as well.

Ball scored 10 points on 4-10 shooting and never could get into much of a rhythm offensively, as the Bruins were held to their second-lowest scoring output of the season.

As the season played out, Lavar’s stature among fans grew larger as he continued to make outlandish statements.

"In the last year, he became relevant for some reason," Fox told SI. "When I knew Lonzo in high school, I’d never seen his dad before. He went crazy this year. I guess when your son a lottery pick, that gives you a lot of confidence."

Fox said that he remains friends with the Ball brothers but said that while he thinks Lonzo will do well in the NBA, he already has an uphill battle to climb.

"Not just the great point guards," he says. "Every point guard. Like Patrick Beverley's not going to do it offensively, but he's gonna be like, 'Yo this kid's not about to get past halfcourt.'"

The Sports Illustrated profile on Fox by Andrew Sharp is a great piece, where he speaks about where he may go in the draft, social media, changes in the game over the years, and the overall pre-draft process, plus much more.

It’s definitely worth a read, so you can check it out here.