Lonzo Ball received a question at UCLA’s postgame news conference on Friday night that was much different from all the others.
The Bruins freshman point guard was asked about the health of his mother in light of a report that said she had suffered a stroke.
Here’s video of the question, along with a transcription of the question and answer.
“Lonzo, I apologize for asking a personal question. But there was a report that your mom had suffered a stroke. I just wanted to know if that’s the case and how you’re holding up if that’s the case,” the reporter asked.
“I got no comment on that, man. It’s a family thing,” Ball said in response.
The original report was published by a little-known site on Thursday and has not received much attention. However, chatter increased after a former NBA player turned analyst tweeted about the matter.
Ball gave a good answer to the question, which many observers felt was inappropriate for the time and place. Here’s a sampling of the internet’s reaction to the question:
Asking Lonzo Ball about his mom's health in a post-game presser is gross. That's not how you report that out. That's lazy, and disgusting.
— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) March 18, 2017
Whoever that reporter was that asked Lonzo Ball to confirm if his mom had a stroke, you should lose whatever press credentials you have.
— LA Sports Radio (@LASportsRadio) March 18, 2017
I can't believe a reporter would ask Lonzo Ball to confirm his mom had a stroke in postgame presser- wildly inappropriate #noclass
— Jeremy Eubanks (@JGEubanks) March 18, 2017
Say what you want about Lavar Ball, but asking Lonzo at a post game PC if his mom had a stroke is weak sauce.
— Scott Snider (@HoopzJunkie) March 18, 2017
Ball had 15 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists in UCLA’s win over Kent State but suffered a bruised hip on this fall.
Playing in his first career NCAA Tournament, Ball has been faced with a lot of distractions. Not only has he received a personal question like this, but his father has been making headlines daily with outlandish comments. Ball is preparing for his team’s game against Cincinnati on Sunday.
