Kidd's son responds to LaVar claiming Lonzo is 'hungrier' than his dad was

T.J. Kidd, the son of NBA Hall of Famer and current Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Jason Kidd, doesn't agree with LaVar Ball's assessment of his dad.

Asked about comparisons between Jason Kidd and New Orleans Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball, LaVar argued Thursday that his son is "hungrier" than Kidd ever was.

"I mean, Jason Kidd passes the ball, light-skinned, big guard... he has to get it from somebody, he's more athletic than that," LaVar told Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson of Heavy.com. "He shoots better than that. He's hungrier than him. I'm trying to see where the comparison is.

"But you know to make a story, that's what the media do - 'Oh he's like this guy, he's like that guy' ... No, like I said, my boy is a new breed."

While T.J. respects LaVar's fatherly support, he took issue with his claims.

"He's building his sons up for success. I respect that," T.J. told Robinson in a text message. "I think that Lonzo is a great basketball player with a high basketball IQ and I hope he has a great career. For him to say that my dad wasn't 'hungry' when he played just isn't true.

"You look at what he did in Jersey and took them (to) two straight NBA Finals against the Kobe Bryant-and-Shaquille O'Neal Lakers, and then the next year versus (the) David Robinson/Tim Duncan Spurs. Two gold medals. NBA champion with the Mavs in 2011. The body of work is there. He's also top 10 all time in 3-pointers made ... I'm sure both at their absolute best would be a very fun one-on-one game to watch. At the end of the day, he will have his bias and I'll have mine."

Kidd has shut down comparisons between himself and Lonzo in the past, telling ESPN's "First Take" in 2017 that Lonzo needs to first understand "what it means to play hard" and "win at the highest level."