Lonzo Ball After Walking Away From Fight: "I Ain't Trying to Get No Tech"

The Los Angeles Lakersand Phoenix Suns got into a small skirmish at the end of last night’s game. Three players were assessed technical fouls.Lonzo Ball was not one of them because he completely removed himself from the situation, walking away as the rest of his teammates got involved.

“It’s the NBA,” Ball said afterward. “People ain’t really going to fight, so I ain’t trying to get no tech.”

The 20-year-old rookie has struggled so far and there have been rumors he may lose his starting job. He is a lightning rod for criticism partly due to his father’s antics. And he’s taking plenty for not standing up for his teammates.

My question: is Ball walking away from a dust-up a big deal? The optics clearly aren’t great for a player the franchise is banking on to be a leader of men. On the other hand, he has a point in saying that NBA fights never really get out of hand and rushing to join the fracas is largely an exercise in wasted energy.