Lavar Ball has become one of the most polarizing figures in basketball in the past year, mainly for some very questionable comments. The Ball family has come to a larger prominence this year thanks to the children’s play on the court, and their father’s mouth off of it. He has gone after superstar basketball players including Lebron James, Stephen Curry, and Kyrie Irving.

This may not be a popular opinion, but I believe Lavar Ball is a better person than most people give him credit to be. Before I go into why I like Lavar, let me preface this article by reminding everyone that I am not out of touch with the situation. I can easily see why someone would detest him. I myself am not fond of everything he does. He is bold, brash, and louder than anyone should be. I understand the opposition to Lavar’s antics. But I have also noticed what his children have said about him along with how his kids act. His children are well-behaved and tend to stay out of the spotlight, except the one time Lamelo pointed to midcourt and drained a shot.

However, that shot is quite possibly the most controversial things any of his children have said or done. In a country where fatherless families struggle daily, an involved father is always something to be happy about. Fatherhood Factor cites the US Census Bureau in stating that 23.6% of US children lived without a father in 2014. In a world where so many fathers back out of a life with their child, Lavar Ball has proven to be nothing short of a fantastic father.

Lavar has received a lot heat for many of his comments, including one where he said that his oldest son Lonzo is currently better than two-time MVP Stephen Curry. He has also stated that his children are better set up for NBA success than the son of superstar Lebron James. James was not happy and told Lavar to not to bring up his son. Now, I understand the criticism of his comments and quite frankly I think most of what he says is untrue and silly. No, his son Lonzo is not currently better than the only player to be elected MVP of the NBA by a unanimous vote.

However, Lavar does not care what others think about him nor his children and he believes every word that comes out of his mouth. He truly believes that his son Lonzo can be the greatest basketball player ever, while Liangelo and Lamelo can continue the Ball legacy and redefine UCLA basketball. The man put a $495 price tag on his son’s shoe, and Lonzo has yet to step on the court for even an NBA summer league game. Lavar announced that they would be selling Lonzo’s shoe and his original price tag for companies that wanted it was $1 billion.

As you can guess, companies like Nike and Adidas were appalled at his asking price, and to nobody’s surprise, the shoe deal he craves is nowhere in sight. Recently the price of the Big Baller Brand shoes went up to $3 billion. Ball said “Triple B’s”, referencing the price.

Lavar Ball’s antics can most certainly be classified as outlandish, and even rude. However, my admiration for him does not necessarily stem from how he carries himself. The part of Lavar Ball that I enjoy is not that he says the things he says, but that he believes those things. He views his children as the greatest people on Earth and he is absurdly proud to be their father. He believes in his children more than anyone I have ever seen in a spotlight like this. He has helped his kids become stars in their own right and he has faith that his children can be the greatest basketball players to ever step on the court.

Lavar Ball views his children as the most talented and valuable people on the planet. Lavar Ball may always be neck deep in controversy for his unrestrained mouth, but that does not and should not take away from how good of a father he is. In a day in age where not everyone is lucky enough to have a father, a dad that is this involved and supportive ought to be admired.