LaVar Ball refuses to thank Donald Trump in CNN interview
The grudge match between LaVar Ball and President Donald Trump may be hitting new levels.
Ball joined CNN on Monday night for an interview. Sitting in for Don Lemon was Chris Cuomo, and he had no idea what he was in for.
Cuomo tried to grill Ball about Ball’s son, LiAngelo, being arrested along with two other UCLA basketball players for shoplifting while in China on a trip with the basketball team. The three players were eventually released, and the belief is that Trump’s presence in China helped the boys get released without facing charges.
However, while the three players thanked President Trump for helping get them released, father LaVar downplayed Trump’s role in the controversy. The result was Trump calling LaVar out by name on Twitter for not thanking him.
And just like that, LaVar was invited onto CNN to talk about things. And you better believe that LaVar had his gameplan ready. Want to guess what that was? Refusing to say “thank you” to Trump.
Ball insisted that he wouldn’t thank Trump until knowing exactly what the president did on behalf of his son.
“Maybe we was doing some talking with some other people before him,” Ball said, suggesting that Trump’s role in the process was minimal.
"If you help, you shouldn't have to say anything," says LaVar Ball, father of UCLA basketball player LiAngelo Ball, adding, "Let him do his political affairs and let me handle my son, and let's just stay in our lane" https://t.co/CzyFZ2YTO1 pic.twitter.com/1XiXEg6Pl4
— CNN (@CNN) November 21, 2017
Ball rhetorically asked how the three players were released from jail and held at the UCLA team hotel prior to Trump’s involvement as a way of making the point that progress was already being made on the matter.
“If he helped, I would say thanks,” Ball said.
He repeated that he didn’t know how much of a role Trump played in helping his son.
“I’m not going to say nothing I don’t know, I don’t care and I don’t see.”
Now what would lead to a “thank you” from Ball to Trump? An invite to the White House. Yes, Ball might have trolled his way to Pennsylvania Avenue.