Public continues to weigh in on the incident that transpired between LaVar Ball and a female referee at his sons AAU basketball game. This time, it’s coaxed an apology from Adidas in which they stated regret for removing the referee from the game at LaVar Ball’s request.
In what has become an infamous rant, the hilariously obnoxious LaVar Ball finally went too far.
In a series of statements, adidas acknowledged that it made the wrong decision in the heat of the moment. After initially referring to the incident as a “miscommunication,” adidas offered a more thoughtful statement to For the Win! on Monday.
“The referee substitutions made during our tournament last week are not in line with our company values. It was the wrong decision. We regret the situation and are looking into the matter to make sure our standards for sportsmanship, equality and fair play are met in the future.
Supporting all athletes is critical to who we are. We believe in the power of sport to create positivity and bring people together. Importantly, any representation that we would compromise our values and inclusive approach for the benefit of any individual is inaccurate.”
It is surprising that they issue was allowed to get as far as it did. Instances in which players or coaches disagree with referees aren’t in short supply in the NBA, but rarely do things devolve into indictments of anything beyond basketball. Even then, it is unheard to have an official removed from a game because of a disagreement over a call.
It appears LaVar Ball’s celebrity might have clouded judgement on that day.
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