The NBA has plenty of drama already. Apparently, it now has a new opponent.
Dads.
LaVar Ball has teamed up with Dwyane Wade Sr. and Quenton Marselles Brown Sr., the father of Jaylen Brown, to launch The Ultimate Dads Unplugged podcast. And judging by their opening conversations, these fathers have some serious thoughts about the role dads play in the lives of NBA stars.
Their first guest was Justin Tatum, the father of Jayson Tatum.
Jayson Tatum’s Father gets deep on how the NBA is trying to Market the “Single Mother” image and trying to push the Dad’s out the picture.
Tatum’s Dad:
“I’ve seen it when it started with the Draft, Mom got interviewed, and I was sitting right next to it, nothing was asked to… pic.twitter.com/u0UbdhLyt8
— CulturedUpdates (@CulturedUpdatez) August 16, 2026
The fathers expressed concerns that the NBA has been trying to separate players from their fathers. That is quite the accusation. But when LaVar Ball is involved, you already know the conversation is unlikely to be boring.
Dwyane Wade Sr.: “The NBA, they try to act like they are the fathers. I saw dads crying ’cause of that situation.”
LaVar Ball: “How do each one of you guys feel about the way they want to divide you guys from your son when you get to that success?”
Quenton Marselles Brown Sr.: “Wow.”
Justin Tatum: “I’ve seen it when it started with the draft. Mom got interviewed and sitting right next to it, nothing was asked to me. We know what took for us to get our kids there, and if stuff like that’s going to break me, then I don’t need to be around. It’s messed up, but I know my son, how much he cares and loves me, and he knows what we’ve been through. As long as that matters, I’m good.”
LaVar Ball: “D-Wade?”
Dwyane Wade Sr.: “I had a hard time when my son first went to the league with them trying to separate the players from the dads or the families. And what I tried to do is I tried to instill what I learned from my situation, is sit back and let them mature and then everything will work out.”
LaVar Ball: “If you look at any of these superstars, who is being given, from [Derrick] Rose not talking to his parents to Kobe [Bryant] not being able to talk to his parents, so you’re going to go through that. That’s why I asked you guys. It’s nothing you can just dodge.”
The podcast could become an entertaining place for these fathers to share stories, debate basketball culture and discuss what happens behind the scenes.
Whether the NBA is actually trying to push fathers away is a much bigger question. But one thing is certain: the dads are talking.
And with LaVar Ball holding the microphone, nobody should expect this conversation to be quiet.
