John Wall says LaVar Ball taunts inspire him to be his best vs. Lonzo Ball, Lakers
Washington Wizards All-Star point guard John Wall left the trash talking to his teammate, Marcin Gortat, and LaVar Ball ahead of the Wizards' match-up against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night.
Gortat tweeted that Wall would "torture" Lakers rookie point guard Lonzo Ball "for 48 minutes" in response to a taunt from Lonzo's outspoken father, LaVar, who said the Wizards "better beware."
Wall did say he expects to show the Lakers PG "no mercy."
“Certain match-ups you really get up for," Wall told The Washington Post on Tuesday. "Like when you play Steph (Curry), you definitely want to have a good game. I’m playing against (Ball). (Gortat) said what he said about me. I didn’t say anything. His dad has been talking. …That makes me want to go out there and lead my team and play the best I can play.”
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Of LaVar, Wall added: "He’s hyping his son up but he’s already getting all that hype. … He’s just taking it to another level. ...He’s gassing up his son. So he’s got to back it up.”
Lakers forward Brandon Ingram said the players saw Gortat's tweet and similarly were motivated by the trash talk.
"The competitor in Lonzo, of course he didn't take it so well and, with his teammates behind him, we didn't take it so well," Ingram told reporters Tuesday.
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