The public role of an NBA superstar’s father is one aspect of the sport that has significantly evolved in recent years.
In the old days, you never really knew too much about the parental figures of first-generation stars. Sure, you may have known that Lew Alcindor Sr. was a jazz musician turned police officer, or that Earvin Johnson Sr. was a General Motors assembly worker. But their public personas were primarily that of somewhat mythological figures whose values created some of our greatest sports heroes.
The Forefather
In the modern NBA, the roles of NBA fathers are much more front-facing. To the point where, in some cases, they’ve become pseudo-celebrities or even just outright famous in their own respect.
It seemingly began with the arrival of LaVar Ball and the “Big Baller Brand” era in 2017, when Ball’s WWE-esque public persona only served to boost the popularity and branding of himself and his three sons, Lonzo, LiAngelo, and LaMelo. It even earned the eldest Ball an appearance on Monday Night Raw alongside The Miz.
Despite Lonzo and LaMelo making a total of one NBA All-Star game as a family to this point, they remain two of the more popular names in the NBA. LiAngelo has recently opted for a music career, with his viral hit single “Tweaker” peaking at No. 29 on the Billboard Top 40 chart.
The momentum started by LaVar’s initial runs through the press in the late 2010s has now snowballed into something that will likely keep the Ball family culturally relevant long beyond their playing years.
Evolution Of The Role
Of course, LaVar Ball was merely the start of the growing trend of NBA fathers seeking to parlay their children’s relevance into a persona for themselves. A notable side script throughout the NBA playoffs has been the drama produced by the fathers of the postseason’s two biggest stars.
First, it was John Haliburton’s antics in the face of superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo after his son Tyrese and the Pacers eliminated the Bucks in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Most recently, it was an off-color NSFW remark from Vaughn Alexander (Shai’s dad) on a recent appearance on Jeff Teague’s popular “Club 520” podcast.
Tyrese Haliburton with @PatMcAfeeShow on the interaction between his father John and Giannis Antetokounmpo after the Pacers’ Game 5 win over the Bucks. pic.twitter.com/ZmY4YszREM
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 30, 2025
Unlike LaVar’s somewhat endearing theatrics that helped turn his children into superstars, Haliburton and Alexander’s behavior has left their children apologizing and presumably face-palming in their wake.
Ja Morant’s father, Tee, has been a largely positive courtside presence throughout his son’s playing career. A few viral dust-ups and moments of trash talk have made him a relatively popular figure, including a hilarious ejection against the Oklahoma City Thunder for reportedly yelling, “The fix is in!” after a particularly bad call. Morant also had a good-natured back-and-forth with Karl Anthony Towns Sr. during the Grizzlies vs. Timberwolves playoff series in 2022 that included a friendly bet.
🤣 Tee Morant and Karl Towns Sr. are back at it again pic.twitter.com/S14vAK1law
— NBA (@NBA) November 12, 2022
Here To Stay
With the nature of an online society and the general thirst for viral entertainment in any form, it’s hard to imagine the return of underheard parents in the NBA. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as the storylines provided by guys like Tee Morant and John Haliburton only add to the intrigue of an already dramatic league. LaVar Ball deserves his own category in that regard, especially, considering he was a one-man headlines machine for all of our publications at the peak of his powers.
