Posted on 11/21/2017 11:23:39 AM PST by drewh
LaVar Ball's nationally televised interview about President Donald Trump's demands for gratitude went just as people who know Ball would've expected: ridiculously. During the interview, the 49-year-old Ball often provided circular answers to CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, but ultimately resisted giving Trump thanks for the Chinese government's pardon of his son LiAngelo Ball and two other UCLA basketball players. At one point during LaVar Ball's response to Trump which is essentially what the interview had been billed as the father seemed to chastise Trump for even asking for thanks.
LiAngelo Ball, Cody Riley, and Jalen Hill were arrested and held in China on suspicion of shoplifting. This was happening while the president happened to be in China, and he reportedly intervened to help get them out of jail. They returned to the U.S. on Tuesday, Nov. 14. The CNN interview with LaVar Ball came the day after Trump said he "should've left" LiAngelo Ball in jail, with the president taking offense with the father not giving the White House thanks. A day earlier, Ball, the polarizing father of three popular basketball players, responded "who?" when asked whether Trump deserved credit.
"If you helped, you shouldnt even have to say anything. If I helped somebody, I dont walk around saying, You know I helped you now. Cmon now, give me some love. I helped you.'" Ball told CNN. "I'm just saying, why is that on your mind? All this stuff going on and that's on your mind, that a father didn't say thank you? And you're supposed to be the head of the you know, you're the head of the U.S.?"
However, when Cuomo replied that it was fair of Ball to question why Trump would make others' gratitude a public talking point, Ball insisted that he was not criticizing the president. "What is the criticism [in] that? ... There's a lot of other things that's going on, man. Let him do his political affairs and let me handle my son and let's just stay in our lane," Ball said.
Ball is not only the father of LiAngelo Ball, one of three UCLA players who were caught shoplifting in China but allowed to return to campus without imprisonment, but also Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball and future UCLA player LaMelo Ball.
Before Ball was interviewed by CNN, the popular basketball dad had first spoken to ESPN. During that particular interview, Ball downplayed the notion that Trump had played a significant role in the Chinese government's decision to allow the three UCLA players to walk free.
"What was he over there for?" Ball rhetorically asked ESPN. "Don't tell me nothing. Everybody wants to make it seem like he helped me out."
It was this that seemingly prompted the Nov. 19 tweet from President Trump:
Despite Ball not thanking the president, his son LiAngelo and the two teammates with whom he faced potential jail time all thanked President Trump days before the father's interview with ESPN.
That fact did nothing to deter the president from saying he should have left the students in jail, however. Meanwhile, Trump's response on Twitter did nothing to persuade Lavar Ball that he should think twice about not giving the president credit.
Pool/Getty Images News/Getty Images "Did he help the boys get out? I dont know. I dont know," Ball told CNN. "If I was going to thank somebody, Id probably thank President Xi. Id thank him. Hes in China. Hes the head, the president in China. I mean somebody can make a suggestion and somebody can do something. Youve got people who make suggestions and people who do things."
Within sports media, Lavar Ball is a much publicized figure known for delivering interviews hallmarked by boisterous claims and promotion of the family's company, Big Baller Brand. Ball's interview with CNN, despite not being about sports, was ultimately no different.
"I'll send you some Big Baller merch," he told Chris Cuomo before signing off. "You gonna be a Big Baller for ever."
And the ungrateful retard of the year award goes to....
Can you imagine how much stuff these little bastards would have pilfered from AF1?
And if your kid gets picked up for shoplifting, then a parent really should just shut up. They got nothing to teach me.
The best thing about this story is that I had never heard of this LaFrickinIdiot Balls family before the shoplifting incident was reported, and I forgot all of their names already anyway.
Which sowed the seeds of racism...................
Okay then Mr. Ball, if being gracious and grateful is beneath you, then we’ll just send the boys back. The term of 2-10 years in a Chinese prison, assuming that they survive it, will teach them much about humility.
Arrest them and send them back. Let LeVar get them out.
The shoplifting ghetto trash son is much like his ghetto trash father.
I agree with DJT: should have left the thieves in China.
Trump shouldn’t have said anything but it’s ok for lavar to run his mouth whenever he wants to.
If someone saves your child from years of misery and near certain death you do not spit in their eye.
Yup exactly.
I immediately thought of the black woman named “Airwrecka McBride”.
Could be a hoax, but...how can one tell nowadays?
LaVar Ball still refuses to thank Donald Trump, cracks jokes (Wanted them flown home on Air Force 1)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3606685/posts
Even SNL has started making fun of this guy. I've got a feeling that all of this will end badly, but it doesn't take much to come to that conclusion.
The man is obviously butthurt because Donald Trump freed his son and flew him home. Not Jesse, not Barack, not Rev. Al. This hurts Lavar’s street cred that a “racist” white dude got his son out.
That’s what this is all about, IMO. The less said about all of it, the better.
I never heard of this dumb bastard until now and I dont want to hear of him ever again. Completely reject racists sports that are not balanced in racial participation. I’m sick of it we need affirmative action to clean this up. .
The kids fathers statements could hardly be said as that....he just mumbled nothingness, worse than a ‘grade school kid’ trying to strut his stuff being stupid on a play ground....he surpassed that and sounded like a babbling idiot.
Kuddos to the pundit....he just let the father show what a complete fool he is. I listened until I couldn’t listen any more....what a total idiot. Any wonder guys like him aren’t listened to...you could hear his brain rattling!
A simple “Thank you” would have made you look a lot less stupid.
And the network media are more than willing to let you make an ass of yourself, as long as you say mean things about Trump.
What an ungrateful POS.
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