At this point in the NBA season, many of you know who Lonzo Ball is. And if you don't you're about a whole year behind in terms of basketball. Ball is a rookie for the Los Angeles Lakers and has been doing pretty good so far. This article is not about the rookie sensation, but rather it's all about his loud-mouthed, energetic father, Lavar Ball.

As you can tell from the title, I will try to sell you all on the idea that Lavar Ball is not the bad guy. For those who do not know Lavar Ball, here is a quick recap. He is a sports parent times one-hundred. He goes all out for his boys, mainly LaMelo and Lonzo, but he has become a personality many cannot stand. Just because you can't stand this guy does not mean he is the villain.

I grew up playing primarily basketball and so did my older sister. And it did not matter if my team was losing by fifty points, my mom would cheer us on like there was no tomorrow. Even if she did not understand what just happened, you better believe she will yell, "Let's go Lions" or "Let's go Generals". Those were the mascots of my sister's school and for my school. She was our number one fan and no matter how embarrassing it may have been. We wouldn't have traded it for the world.

The reason why I bring up my mom is that Lavar does the same thing, but instead of being in front of a local high school. He is in front of millions of people who watch NBA basketball. He is supportive of his boys and hard on them at the same time. He has instilled a winning drive in them and I don't see what is wrong with that. I personally would rather have a supportive sports parent than having one who never shows up for my games.

Now, it would be wrong of me not to mention that even though Lavar is supportive and always there, he has done it the wrong way. Like I said before, he is a loud-mouth, more than the average sports parent. He makes ridiculous claims that Lonzo cannot possibly make anytime soon. One claim is that Lonzo will lead the Lakers to at least 50 wins and a four-game series split with the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors during the 2017-18 regular season. First, that claim is false in the eyes of many including the writer. The Lakers are making progress as a young team with a lot of potentials, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Lavar's spirit and willingness to say his son had a great game even if he played terribly, is great, but with that being said, just tone it down a little. Even the best sports parent knows to keep quiet when their kid has a bad game. But, that is just his personality and no one should be allowed to condemn him for that.

Something that does worry me is how he seems to just use Lonzo and his sons to promote the Big Baller Brand. I truly hope he is not intentionally exploiting his sons' talents. If that is the case then Lavar is not the first and will not be the last parent to do so. When we look at different celebrity parents that are common knowledge, Lavar is not the worst of them. I would venture to say he shouldn't even be on the list of worst celebrity parents.

With all that said, people should stop criticizing Lavar Ball for being a parent who is just a little energetic and cocky about his sons' abilities. And if you still can't stand the sight of the man, then just ignore him like many in the sports media world, have. He will be the loud-mouth, obnoxious dad that many children have. One thing that should be taken away from Lavar's behavior is the love he has for his children. That kind of love he shows is enough for me to say that he isn't the bad guy.