NBA player Tony Allen LOVES him some LaVar Ball, like he REALLY loves him ... so much that he tells TMZ Sports he thinks he would've been the first pick in the NBA draft ... had Ball been his dad.
We got Tony out in L.A. and when we brought up Ball to him, the former NBA champ couldn't stop gushing, saying he wished there were more dads like LaVar in the black community.
Allen then says he longed for that type of support -- he had a relationship with his dad, but was raised by a single mom in Chicago -- claiming Ball's controversial parenting would've made him even greater.
"If my daddy would've been like that, I'd have probably went #1."
FYI -- Allen was drafted #25 back in 2004, and has made 5 NBA All-defensive teams and won a ring so ... great job, mom.