Public opinion and media debates around LaVar Ball—discover key moments of controversy.
LaVar Ball is an American entrepreneur best known as the founder of Big Baller Brand and the now-defunct Junior Basketball Association (JBA). He gained notoriety for his outspoken personality and promotion of his sons, Lonzo and LaMelo Ball, both professional basketball players in the NBA. His middle son, LiAngelo Ball, has recently signed a record deal with Def Jam as a hip hop recording artist. Ball's influence extends beyond business into sports and entertainment due to his sons' success and his own media presence.
November 26, 2016: Guaranteed UCLA NCAA Tournament Win
On November 26, 2016, LaVar Ball guaranteed in a TV interview that UCLA, led by his son Lonzo, would win the 2017 NCAA Division I Tournament.
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March 13, 2017: Statements About Michael Jordan
On March 13, 2017, LaVar Ball stated in an interview that he "would kill Michael Jordan one-on-one" in his prime. This statement resulted in significant media attention and ridicule.
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March 2017: Statement About Lonzo and Stephen Curry
In early March 2017, LaVar Ball said he viewed Lonzo as a better player than Stephen Curry, the NBA Most Valuable Player in 2015 and 2016. These comments were widely criticized.
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October 3, 2017: Criticism from USA Today
On October 3, 2017, LaVar Ball was criticized by Nancy Armour of USA Today as the "worst sports parent ever" after he removed his son LaMelo from Chino Hills High School to train him personally.
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November 7, 2017: LiAngelo Ball's Arrest in China
On November 7, 2017, LaVar Ball's son LiAngelo and two UCLA teammates were arrested in China for shoplifting, which led to involvement from U.S. President Donald Trump for their release.
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November 2017: Criticism of Luke Walton
In November 2017, LaVar Ball criticized Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton for his coaching approach to his son Lonzo.
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December 12, 2017: Lakers Meet with LaVar Ball
On December 12, 2017, the Lakers' front office met with LaVar Ball, asking him to tone down his criticisms of their head coach and help create a more positive environment for his son Lonzo.
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2017: Making National Sports Headlines
In 2017, LaVar Ball began making national sports headlines due to a series of bold statements, including claiming his son Lonzo was better than Stephen Curry and that he could defeat Michael Jordan one-on-one. This drew both praise and criticism.
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January 2018: Walton Criticism in Lithuania
In January 2018, LaVar Ball noted that the Lakers were no longer playing for their coach, resulting in them having the worst record in the Western Conference at the time.
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March 3, 2018: Twitter Post
On March 3, 2018, after an ESPN report that Trump had no involvement in LiAngelo's release, LaVar Ball wrote on Twitter, "Thank you for what again @realDonaldTrump ?"
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June 2018: Statement about Kobe Bryant
In June 2018, LaVar Ball mentioned he could take on Kobe Bryant one-on-one due to Bryant's injury that took him out of the game in 2016.
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August 5, 2018: Comments on President Trump
Following President Trump's tweet regarding LeBron James and his interview with CNN on August 5, 2018, LaVar Ball told TMZ that the president is a racist.
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February 25, 2019: President Trump's Comments on China Relationship
On February 25, 2019, President Trump reaffirmed his stance on the situation with LiAngelo and the UCLA players, stating he conversed with Xi Jinping about the college students.
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June 20, 2019: Appearance on ESPN's First Take
On June 20, 2019, LaVar Ball appeared on ESPN's First Take to discuss his son Lonzo's trade to the New Orleans Pelicans. His sexually suggestive comment to host Molly Qerim led to ESPN stating they had "no plans moving forward" to have Ball on their programs again.
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2020: Statements on 2020 Presidential Election
In 2020, LaVar Ball stated that he would not vote for Trump in the 2020 Presidential elections and suggested that Trump lost the election because of their feud.
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