LaVar Ball the Miz

While hip hop stars Nicki Minaj and 2 Chainz performed at the NBA’s first ever NBA awards in NYC, LaVar Ball upstaged the awards show from across the country on Monday.

The 48-year-old retired football player proved he is a master at promotion as he stripped off his shirt to take on wrestler The Miz at WWE Raw at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Inside the ring were 4 mannequins wearing Ball’s Big Baller Brand (BBB) merchandize available on Ball’s website.

One writer said the NBA Awards — which was missing its biggest name stars — “took itself too seriously” with rapper Drake handling the evening’s hosting duties. The writer also noted TNT utilized a fake applause track to liven up the studio.

But no such pre-recorded technology was needed at the Raw, where LaVar Ball stole the show while his sons Lonzo Ball and LaMelo Ball stood by and laughed.

via theRinger.com — Back across the country, Drake coerced laughs out of a tepid ballroom filled with NBA players that looked like they resented the offseason interruption. There was a red carpet, but stars like Russell Westbrook skipped it. The Inside the NBA crew was on hand to offer commentary, there were awkward in-the-crowd interviews with Draymond Green and James Harden, and there was a misplaced performance from Nicki Minaj and 2 Chainz. Drake proved to be a tremendous, risqué host, but with a league that thrives off candid social media moments and authentic player personalities, the overdue NBA awards took itself too seriously. LaVar would have been unenthused.