What Is The 'LaVar Ball Rule?' Lakers Reinforce Policy Restricting Media Access After Game

The Los Angeles Lakers are reinforcing an "existing policy" at Staples Center that restricts media access to family-designated areas in the arena after the game, which some staff members nicknamed "The LaVar Ball Rule."

"It's not a new policy; it's an existing policy," a team spokesperson told ESPN’s Chris Haynes on Monday. "There has been more media presence in that area than before. That section is strictly for family and guests of players. It's a privacy concern."

Traditionally, media will conduct interviews with family and friends of Laker players near the entrance of the tunnel behind the basketball hoop after the game. However, Staples Center has reinstated the rule that has restricted access, disallowing interviews and gathering in that designated area. If a media member is seen in that area now, security will ask them to leave.

Ball, father of Lakers rookie guard Lonzo Ball famously does interviews with the press after the game on the court, which is not permitted. The league states that only those with credentials can do so. Ball has not conducted an on-court interview since the L.A. Clippers defeated the Lakers opening-night in October, however, he has recently been openly critical of the team.

During a post-game interview after the Lakers 122-113 loss to the Phoenix Suns Nov. 20, LaVar Ball berated the Lakers coaching staff.

"They're soft. They don't know how to coach my son," Ball told Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. "I know how to coach him. I tell him to go get the victory. Stop messing around. Go get the W. Do whatever it takes. That's why I'm down here saying, 'Rebound, He's been away from me too long. I see tendencies in his game —they're trying to baby him a little bit."

In a post-game interview Wednesday after the Lakers loss 127-123 to the Golden State Warriors, LaVar Ball lamented the team’s execution and targeted forward Julius Randle for not passing the ball to his son.

"I'll tell you the crucial point. When Julius [Randle] got that ball at the end, he should have thrown it forward. Lonzo had a wide-open layup. Or 3-pointer. That's game. It wouldn't have gone to overtime. That was game. Julius tried to take too many dribbles. But every time they score two 3-pointers, it's a game of runs. Don't call timeout, because that's means you're scared. You make two 3-pointers on me, I got two more to come. Do the Big Baller move. Don't call no timeouts," he told reporters.

LaVar Ball also raised eyebrows in March with a comparison between Lonzo Ball and NBA champion Steph Curry during a UCLA game broadcast.

"I have the utmost confidence in what my boy is doing. He’s better than Steph Curry to me. Put Steph Curry on UCLA’s team right now and put my boy on Golden State and watch what happens," he said.