LaVar Ball officially done with 'sheisty' ESPN reporter
I can only imagine the sleepless nights that await the higher-ups at ESPN.
The “Worldwide Leader” must be reeling after LaVar Ball made it clear that reporters “sheisty” Jeff Goodman and Ramona Shelburne are now out of the loop when it comes to dealing with his family and the Big Baller Brand.
Goodman, who covers both NBA and college hoops, was in Lithuania since the Balls arrived in the country, sharing the story of LaVar and the journey of his sons, LaMelo and LiAngelo, into professional basketball.
The big headline came earlier this month, when Ball told Goodman that the Los Angeles Lakers had, essentially quit on coach Luke Walton, and “don’t want to play for” him.
Because Ball’s oldest son, Lonzo, plays for the Lakers, rumors surfaced suggesting Ball heard the news from inside the locker room.
That story created a major buzz which didn’t sit well with Ball.
“If (Goodman) thinks that story was worth a bunch of clicks, and him going to the moon? Hey, that’s fine,” Ball said. “You also got to understand that affects me in a bad way, when I’m feeling bad, which it ain’t gonna bother me at all. Either I deal with you or I don’t. So now I never deal with him. Just like Ramona Shelburne. She’s off my list, too.
“He’s sheisty,” Ball said of Goodman. “He knows the kind of tricks he was trying to play, like when we’re interviewing about the boys [LaMelo and LiAngelo] and all of a sudden he slips in, ‘How’s Lonzo doing?’ OK, I thought we were talking about the boys, because you know me, I’ll answer anything.”
The only problem with Ball’s logic is that, well, he was the one who made the comments to Goodman in the first place.
Perhaps he was more miffed by Goodman’s evaluation of 16-year old LaMelo.
“Jimmer Fredette was probably the worst defensive player I ever saw in college, and LaMelo makes Jimmer look like (former All-Defensive team member) Bruce Bowen,” Goodman said.
“I sent Jeff Goodman home early,” Ball said. “Otherwise he would have still been out here. But how are you going to be out here if I won’t interview with you no more? You got to come home.”
From Goodman’s perspective, that means he gets to return from Lithuania. He sure seemed devastated.
Great day.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) January 29, 2018
An ESPN spokesperson told The Big Lead, “Jeff was in Lithuania for eight days, and he came home as scheduled after the brothers’ first game. This was solely ESPN’s decision.”
And Shelburne, who’s as plugged into the NBA as just about anyone, was equally crushed.
I always found him entertaining. This latest heel turn is just another storyline. He knows that.
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) January 29, 2018
Well, it sounds like the reporters will survive without access to Ball, so now LaVar will have to find someone else to get out his message.
We’ll assume that won’t be an issue.
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