LaMelo Ball can thread a no-look pass through traffic. Diaper duty? He's passing that one off too.
The Question
Before his Minnesota Timberwolves debut Wednesday, LaMelo sat down with Ernie Johnson on ESPN's NBA Tip-Off. Ernie asked the new dad whether he changes his son's diapers.
LaMelo's answer: "Nah, my girl do all that."
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'We Got a Good Game Plan'
LaMelo explained that he and his girlfriend, Ana Montana, have their parenting roles figured out with their 9-month-old son, LaOne. "We got a good game plan going on … I know what I gotta do … she knows what she gotta do," he said.
Then he added the line that set the internet off: "I definitely did it before, it's just not my job."
Ernie, a longtime dad himself, wasn't buying it. "Man, you don't know what you're missing," he told LaMelo, according to TMZ.
Want the whole sit-down? ESPN posted the full interview:
The Internet Reacts
The clip blew up fast. The first post of it on X passed 2 million views, and TMZ reports plenty of people weren't laughing, calling out LaMelo for treating diaper duty like somebody else's problem.
Shaquille O'Neal also had something to say about the interview, though not about diapers. Heavy reports Shaq was "baffled" by LaMelo's answer about the team's expectations, after LaMelo said, "I don't really throw expectations on nothing. I just go out there and give it my all."
Business on the Court
Whatever happens at home, LaMelo handled his job Wednesday night. He scored 21 points with six assists in his Timberwolves debut as Minnesota crushed the Miami Heat 131-106. Anthony Edwards led the way with 45 points, and Giannis Antetokounmpo had 35 for Miami.
Our Take
Look, every family runs its own playbook, and if it works for LaMelo and Ana, that's their call. But telling Ernie Johnson on national TV that diapers are "not my job" was always going to get a reaction. Melo's got the court handled. The diaper debate might take a little longer.
