LaVar Ball wins screaming match with Stephen A. Smith on 'First Take' (video)
LaVar Ball is at it again and if you think that he couldn’t get louder, you’re wrong. Put Stephen A. Smith in the room and things will get even more volatile.
Ball appeared on ESPN’s “First Take” on Thursday and it was basically a screaming match between the two. But, believe it or not, Ball may have actually won. He adamantly defended his comment that he would beat Michael Jordan in a game of 1-on-1. And he didn’t really make sense, but he sure believed it and defended his stance with conviction.
It was a lot. So if you can’t watch the whole thing or if you’re just plain tired of hearing about the patriarch of the Ball family, no worries. But it is pretty entertaining.
For those who’d prefer a transcript instead of watching two grown men yelling at each other, here’s the best exchange between the two:
Stephen A. Smith: So just to be clear…Your attitude is, you’re marketing your sons. This is what you do, this is how you are, you’re going to make sure they’re not the 70 percent, which is the number you threw out there…this is what it is and you’re going to be unapologetic about that?
LaVar Ball: I ain’t apologizing about nothing. I don’t live that way. I don’t have to apologize about nothing because I don’t do nothing I regret.
Stephen A. Smith: OK, so let’s go to something you should regret. You, you’re going beat Michael Jordan? You say you could take him one-on-one?
LaVar Ball: Michael Jordan!?
Stephen A. Smith: I’m just saying, you gonna take Michael Jordan?!? You know better than that!
LaVar Ball: No, you know better than that!
Stephen A. Smith: …I’m gonna be like everybody else and ask you what you did in college. Forget all that. All I’m going to ask you is a simple question: We talkin’ about the G.O.A.T. here, the greatest of all time, Michael Jordan. And you’re running your mouth talking about you gonna beat him one-on-one…why would you say something so blasphemous!?
LaVar Ball: In my heyday, he would need help!
Stephen A. Smith: Really?
LaVar Ball: He’s too small. His name is big and y’all like…
Stephen A. Smith: Y’all?
LaVar Ball: Five-on-five game, he’s good. But one-on-one, I’m undefeated. Never lost!
Stephen A. Smith: Would you stop it?
LaVar Ball: Never lost one-on-one!
Stephen A. Smith: Apologize on TV! That don’t make any sense!
LaVar Ball: Ain’t nobody ever beat me in my heyday one-on-one!
Stephen A. Smith: What are you talking about?
Max Kellerman: Marcellus Wiley took you the distance one-on-one!
Stephen A. Smith: Exactly! And you looked like you were tired against Marcellus!
LaVar Ball: Let me ask you this, like I tell them, did I win or lose? Did I win or lose! All I care about is the ‘W’! I don’t care how I get it!
Stephen A. Smith: You were tired from dancing and you’re talking about you gonna beat Michael Jordan?
LaVar Ball: Michael Jordan? How’s he gonna beat me?
Stephen A. Smith: I don’t know, pick your poison!
LaVar Ball: How’s he gonna beat me?
Stephen A. Smith: Why are you saying stuff like this? Why are you doing this? Is this another marketing tool of yours?
LaVar Ball: Check this out: Everybody used to say who’s the best, Michael Jordan or LeBron? They say, who’s the best, Kobe or LeBron?
Stephen A. Smith: Who’d you think was the best?
LaVar Ball: Guess what the story is now? Who’s better: LaVar or Michael Jordan?
Stephen A. Smith: Ain’t nobody thinking about no damn LaVar…
And on and on they went.
More March Madness coverage from Yahoo Sports:
• Longtime Georgetown coach John Thompson III fired after 13 seasons
• New coach has change of heart minutes before UMass intro
• NCAA gives state of North Carolina deadline to repeal controversial law
