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Is Lonzo Ball a 'Deadbeat Dad'? Speculation Is Mounting

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It looks like overpromising and underdelivering might run in the Ball family, and if the latest trouble Lonzo Ball finds himself in is anything to go by, the tendency isn’t just limited to shot selection on the basketball court.

Ball’s girlfriend, Denise Garcia, gave birth to the couple’s daughter, Zoey, back in July, but since that moment, things apparently have gone downhill for the couple.

The latest episode of the family’s Facebook series “Ball in the Family,” which aired Sunday, featured Zoey’s birth as a central point.

Shortly after the show’s airing, Zoey got her debutante Ball on Instagram courtesy of the proud papa.

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Garcia responded with an Instagram Live video that got captured and shared on YouTube.

In it, she appeared to accuse Lonzo of being a deadbeat dad, maligning his involvement in their daughter’s young life.

Garcia and her friend Taylor can be seen in the video singing “Let It Go” from the smash hit Disney film “Frozen,” after which Taylor said, “That’s Zoey’s favorite song.” Garcia then commented, “Taylor would know that because she’s with her at least twice a week, unlike some people.”

Then, in a hostage-negotiation sort of coded message way, one of the commenters on the live feed wrote, “Blink if Lonzo (is) a deadbeat dad,” and Garcia blinked in a way that nobody would confuse with simply having dust in one’s eyes.

The relationship between Garcia and Ball, which started when they were in high school, reportedly has been under strain in recent months.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXjJqPoD8x4

Garcia poured some gasoline on the fire on Wednesday, posting an image to her Instagram Story that was vicious but didn’t call Lonzo out directly.

“If you’ve been brutally broken but still have the courage to be gentle to other living beings, then you’re a badass with the heart of an angel,” it read, according to USA Today.

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Just exactly what Lonzo has done to “brutally break” Garcia remains an open question. If it’s merely being a lousy dad, especially with his NBA responsibilities, then that’s a bit harsh.

But could it be a sign of something worse? It’s idle speculation, of course, but given the Ball family’s track record, there could be more to this story.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjVOGmOn2aO/

It remains to be seen what all this drama does in terms of the Lakers, their clubhouse chemistry and Ball’s attempts to improve on a dreadful first season in the NBA where he shot just 36 percent from the field, 30 percent from 3 and 45 percent from the free throw line.

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Boston born and raised, Fox has been writing about sports since 2011. He covered ESPN Friday Night Fights shows for The Boxing Tribune before shifting focus and launching Pace and Space, the home of "Smart NBA Talk for Smart NBA Fans", in 2015. He can often be found advocating for various NBA teams to pack up and move to his adopted hometown of Seattle.
Boston born and raised, Fox has been writing about sports since 2011. He covered ESPN Friday Night Fights shows for The Boxing Tribune before shifting focus and launching Pace and Space, the home of "Smart NBA Talk for Smart NBA Fans", in 2015. He can often be found advocating for various NBA teams to pack up and move to his adopted hometown of Seattle.
Birthplace
Boston, Massachusetts
Education
Bachelor of Science in Accounting from University of Nevada-Reno
Location
Seattle, Washington
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Sports




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