NBA prospect Lonzo Ball is making the headlines again — and this time, it’s for saying he would beat Michael Jordan one-on-one.
The 19-year-old was a guest on Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show alongside father LaVar Ball, who had said in March that he would have “killed” the basketball legend when each of them were in their respective primes. LaVar, who never played in the pros and averaged just 2.2 points per game when playing at Washington State University in the ’80s, was torn apart on social media for his wild claim.
Lonzo’s statement wasn’t quite as dramatic as his father’s. When asked by Kimmel if he could take down Jordan today, Lonzo, without hesitation, replied: “Right now? Yeah.”
Given the 35-year age gap between the two, it seems like Lonzo would have a decent shot at beating the 54-year-old. But Jordan beat then-19-year-old Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in 2013, so it seems the great one still hasn’t lost his edge.
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Now that the basketball playoffs are over, fans can turn their full attention to the draft, and Lonzo, projected to go No. 2 to the Los Angeles Lakers, has eaten up the majority of press coverage, along with his father.
LaVar has made headlines over and over for his wild comments — and for creating his own company, Big Baller Brand, which sells signature Lonzo sneakers for a steep price: $500.
One thing’s for sure: While it’s hard to know exactly how many pairs of Lonzo’s signature style have sold, the teen is unlikely be able to outsell Jordan, who still makes over $100 million a year, mostly from Air Jordan sales, anytime soon.
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