Facebook orders LaVar Ball reality show, because … well, LaVar Ball
According to a report from Deadline, Facebook (which is looking more to get into the realm of original programming) has ordered a series about the entire Ball family. Even though Lonzo Ball may have been recently drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers and his other sons LiAngelo and LaMelo are talented in their own right, somehow his infamous father LaVar is still the center of attention. He’s outspoken, ridiculous, apparently thinks he can beat Michael Jordan one-on-one, and has no problem shouting “stay in your lane” at reporters / analysts who are just trying to do their job. The best way to describe LaVar right now is as the wrestling villain of the NBA — he’s one of those people who you boo mostly because it’s fun, and he’s often brings it on himself.
Are there people out there who praise LaVar and his family, as well? Sure, including many professional athletes who admire his ambitious attempt to market the Big Baller Brand line and eschew traditional shoe deals. (It’d be easier to praise his entrepreneurial spirit if Lonzo’s first shoe didn’t cost nearly $500.) He’s building something that could potentially outlast the careers of any of his children in the NBA — there’s no guarantee that LiAngelo or LaMelo will make it there at this point.
So why is Facebook even getting into this space? As company VP of Media Partnerships Nick Grudin said recently (per the aforementioned website), a great deal of it seems to have to do with the desire to build further communities and to later find unique ways to fund programming:
“Our goal is to make Facebook a place where people can come together around video … To help get there, we’re supporting a small group of partners and creators as they experiment with the kinds of shows you can build a community around — from sports to comedy to reality to gaming. We’re focused on episodic shows and helping all our partners understand what works across different verticals and topics. We’re funding these shows directly now, but over time we want to help lots of creators make videos funded through revenue sharing products like Ad Break.”
Let’s face it
A reality series about the Ball family was coming much in the same way that there are a million different things out there about the Kardashians. Love him or hate him, LaVar is probably not going anywhere in the near future. The same certainly goes for Lonzo given that he’s playing for one of the most-famous sports teams in the world as a #2 draft pick.
The thing that we’re the most curious about for the time being is this: Do you have any interest at all in watching a show about LaVar Ball and his famous, or did you have enough of this guy months ago? Be sure to share in the attached comments. (Photo: Facebook.)