LaVar to sparse JBA crowd: 'Everybody here is somebody'
Having his Junior Basketball League open its season on the same night as the NBA draft may not have been LaVar Ball's best idea.
A sparse crowd came out to watch the Los Angeles Ballers defeat the New York Ballers at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif., on Thursday night. Approximately 1,000 spectators were seated in the lower level, while black curtains covered the vacant seats in the upper deck, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.
Meanwhile, the JBA is underway. A very empty stadium for the first game of the night. 😳😳 pic.twitter.com/V03PtVS3Nf
— ProCity Hoops™ (@ProCityHoops) June 22, 2018
Wow this JBA looks Packed af lavar really do his thing 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤟🏾🤟🏾 pic.twitter.com/UZ9abtdwJd
— butler (@Porzzingod21) June 22, 2018
Ball didn't seem bothered by the low turnout, though.
"They said nobody's coming to this," he said while addressing the crowd from center court. "Everybody here is somebody. Nobody here is nobody."
Ball also downplayed his business motives for starting the league.
"I'm not worried about making money," he said. "I'm doing this for the kids."
The next JBA game takes place Saturday at Texas Southern University between the Dallas Ballers and Seattle Ballers.