LaVar Ball had a meeting with Lakers management to tone down his team criticisms, per report

The Lakers’ front office had a meeting with LaVar Ball to request he tone down his criticisms of head coach Luke Walton, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. The meeting was led by Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka.

”It was the best thing, man,” Ball told ESPN. “Everybody’s going to try to make it an ego thing, like I’m trying to tell them what to do or they’re trying to tell me to tone it down. It’s not about that. It’s about coming together and to get a solution to this problem.

“It may sound crazy to other people, but I really just want the best for Lonzo, and the best for Lonzo is going to be what’s best for the organization. Because if everybody winning, we good.”

In late November, Ball called out Walton’s coaching, telling Bleacher Report, “They’re soft. They don’t know how to coach my son. I know how to coach him. I tell him to go get the victory. Stop messing around.”

That message apparently didn’t go over well with the Lakers’ management, but this meeting was an attempt to keep a positive energy surrounding Lonzo.

“I’m going to say whatever I want to say, however I want to say it,” Ball told ESPN. “And they said, ‘LaVar, come and talk to us first.’ So that’s fine too.”

Ball’s still adamant that he knows what’s best for his son, though.

”But I am going to say, to plant a seed,” Ball said to ESPN. “‘Let’s look for this now.’ They may not want to hear that, but it’s going to be successful if you listen to what I’m saying on that fact that I know what it takes for my son to run like this.”

The Lakers are 10-16, and sit No. 11 overall in the Western Conference.