Charles Barkley and LaVar Ball are shifting talk away from the impending NFL free agency period back to NCAA basketball.
Barkley was a bit critical of LaVar Ball, father of UCLA freshman phenom Lonzo Ball. The elder Ball has been all but shy in praising his son’s basketball prowess, even declaring that he will be better than Steph Curry and that teams should pick him over projected No. 1 draft pick Markelle Fultz.
In a Sporting News article published on Tuesday, Barkley gave the following quote:
You can’t say a guy is going to be better than Steph Curry, a guy who has played 30 college games. I know you can be proud of your son, but at some point, it becomes stupidity.
Not one to mince words, LaVar responded with the following dig: “If Charles thought like me, maybe he’d win a championship.”
LaVar’s clapback led Barkley to declare that parents like him are the reason parents should not be interviewed.
Your son’s life is his life. “t’s not yours. No matter what his son accomplishes, it’s not his. So I wish his son nothing but the best. The kid’s a hell of a player. But I don’t like when parents interject. It’s not your life. It’s their life. My daughter’s a great person. She goes to Columbia Grad School right now. That’s her accomplishment. I prepared her for the world. Now she’s on her own.
I don’t even think we should be interviewing people’s parents. I have very strict rules in my family. Shut the f*** up. I’m the one who’s doing this. He can be proud of his kid, but I didn’t win a championship. I’m all right. I will compare my exploits to Mr. Ball’s any time.
The back and forth jarring could make for an awkward face to face meeting between the two men should the Bruins, ranked No. 3 in the nation, reach the Final Four which Barkley will be covering as a broadcaster.
Flip the page for the uncut version of Sir Charles’ comments regarding the loquacious Ball.