LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets have been one the NBA's most entertaining team to watch this young NBA season so far. With youthful stars like Ball and Miles Bridges, the Hornets currently sit at sixth place in the East, only two games back from the Brooklyn Nets for the first seed.
As LaMelo leads the team at point guard, his boisterous, outspoken father LaVar feels like Melo is an ultra important piece to the equation. On Sunday (Nov. 28), LaVar told TMZ that LaMelo should be the league's youngest MVP: "Do I think he can win it? No. I know he can win it!"
LaVar knows there is a caveat to this prediction though. He said that for LaMelo to even be considered for the NBA MVP, he would need to win a championship first: "Here it is ... they're not gonna give Melo the MVP unless he makes it to the Finals. Then you gonna make MVP. You know why? The NBA -- what do you need? You need the next superstar, and you know who he is?! My boy! And, I got a bunch of 'em!"
The MVP voting usually happens before the NBA playoffs, so without that championship on his résumé, he will not be considered for the award this year, in LaVar's eyes. However, if he were to reach the NBA Finals this year, nd had a stellar year next season, he would still be the youngest MVP ever. By the end of next season (2022-23), LaMelo would be 21 years old, and Derrick Rose currently holds the record for youngest MVP at 22 years old.
Melo currently averages 19.4 points, 8 assists and 7.9 rebounds this season, and the Hornets are 13-9. They likely will not be good enough to make it out of the East and to the Finals, but LaVar always believes in his sons.
How do you feel about LaMelo's chances to be the youngest MVP?
[Via]
