LaVar Ball responds to criticism by bringing up Kyrie Irving's late mother

The ever-opinionated Ball may have finally crossed the line

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• by Colin Ward-Henninger

Like it or not, LaVar Ball has done exactly what he wanted to do.

His outlandish braggadocio and nonsensical claims have thrust him into the spotlight. In the past few months he's made the rounds on practically every television and radio station he can find, pumping up his son, Lonzo, and plugging his self-made Big Baller Brand in equal measure.

Among the many athletes to comment on LaVar's behavior was Cavaliersguard Kyrie Irving, who said on a podcast that LaVar needs to back off and "let Lonzo be Lonzo."

Surprise, surprise -- LaVar didn't appreciate those comments. On Fox Sports'Undisputed, LaVar scoffed at the suggestion, asking how Irving could possibly give advice when he isn't even a father himself.

"Kyrie, definitely," LaVar said. "How you gonna tell me how my son should be when you don't have a kid?"  

The only problem is, Irving does have a kid -- he's had one since November of 2015.

So LaVar got a fact wrong -- no big deal, it happens more often than not. But what he said later about Irving's late mother may have crossed the line from playful trash talk to insensitive bullying.

Maybe he don't have the relationship that me and Zo got. And I don't think he did. First of all, your mom wasn't there, so something's got to change right there. It's not the same. Lonzo can come home and see his mom and dad all the time. We've been together. Most people, with this talent, usually has a single parent. Not two of them together.  

Irving's mother passed away when Irving was a four-year-old, and LaVar clearly knew that. Anybody who thinks before they speak knows not to talk about someone's deceased parent without their consent, particularly in a negative way, and particularly on a nationally televised program. There's just no excuse. 

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Tomer Azarly @TomerAzarly

LaVar Ball responded to #Cavs Kyrie Irving's comments from the Road Trippin' Podcast. Little does he know Irving actually is a father.

1:10 PM - 17 May 2017

 
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As much as this guy talks, it's inevitable that he's going to offend people. It will be interesting to see whether LaVar comes out and apologizes to Irving and his family, or whether he's just unable to admit that he's capable of doing something wrong.