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LaVar Ball officially done with 'sheisty' ESPN reporter

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I can only imagine the sleepless nights that await the higher-ups at ESPN.

The “Worldwide Leader” must be reeling after LaVar Ball made it clear that reporters “sheisty” Jeff Goodman and Ramona Shelburne are now out of the loop when it comes to dealing with his family and the Big Baller Brand.

Goodman, who covers both NBA and college hoops, was in Lithuania since the Balls arrived in the country, sharing the story of LaVar and the journey of his sons, LaMelo and LiAngelo, into professional basketball.

The big headline came earlier this month, when Ball told Goodman that the Los Angeles Lakers had, essentially quit on coach Luke Walton, and “don’t want to play for” him.

Because Ball’s oldest son, Lonzo, plays for the Lakers, rumors surfaced suggesting Ball heard the news from inside the locker room.

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That story created a major buzz which didn’t sit well with Ball.


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“If (Goodman) thinks that story was worth a bunch of clicks, and him going to the moon? Hey, that’s fine,” Ball said. “You also got to understand that affects me in a bad way, when I’m feeling bad, which it ain’t gonna bother me at all. Either I deal with you or I don’t. So now I never deal with him. Just like Ramona Shelburne. She’s off my list, too.

“He’s sheisty,” Ball said of Goodman. “He knows the kind of tricks he was trying to play, like when we’re interviewing about the boys [LaMelo and LiAngelo] and all of a sudden he slips in, ‘How’s Lonzo doing?’ OK, I thought we were talking about the boys, because you know me, I’ll answer anything.”

The only problem with Ball’s logic is that, well, he was the one who made the comments to Goodman in the first place.

Perhaps he was more miffed by Goodman’s evaluation of 16-year old LaMelo.

“Jimmer Fredette was probably the worst defensive player I ever saw in college, and LaMelo makes Jimmer look like (former All-Defensive team member) Bruce Bowen,” Goodman said.

“I sent Jeff Goodman home early,” Ball said. “Otherwise he would have still been out here. But how are you going to be out here if I won’t interview with you no more? You got to come home.”

From Goodman’s perspective, that means he gets to return from Lithuania. He sure seemed devastated.

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An ESPN spokesperson told The Big Lead, “Jeff was in Lithuania for eight days, and he came home as scheduled after the brothers’ first game. This was solely ESPN’s decision.”

And Shelburne, who’s as plugged into the NBA as just about anyone, was equally crushed.

Well, it sounds like the reporters will survive without access to Ball, so now LaVar will have to find someone else to get out his message.

We’ll assume that won’t be an issue.

 

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Mike is an 11-time Michigan Emmy Award winner who has spent nearly 30 years working in sports media.
Mike has spent nearly 30 years in all aspects of sports media, including on-air, 10 at ESPN and another 10 at Fox Sports Detroit. He now works as a TV agent, and lives with his family in West Bloomfield, MI.
Birthplace
Sudbury, Massachusetts
Honors/Awards
11-time Michigan Emmy winner
Education
Emerson College
Books Written
The Longest Year: One Family's Journey Of Life, Death, And Love/If These Walls Could Talk: Detroit Tigers/If These Walls Could Talk: Detroit Lions
Topics of Expertise
Sports




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