Basketball: LaVar Ball delivers another sexist rant

LaVar Ball. Photo / Getty Images.

LaVar Ball is back at it with his sexist rants.

The latest target? A female referee officiating a youth basketball game which Ball was coaching.

The loudmouth father of No. 2 NBA Draft pick Lonzo Ball has already made headlines for reportedly costing his son a $27 million sponsorship deal and shooting down Cleveland Cavaliers star Kyrie Irving for his mum being dead.

Now, after he received a technical foul from said female official during his Big Baller Brand team's Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) game, he threatened to pull his team off the court.

Instead, the official was replaced, and the game went on.

Ball had pulled his team off the floor in a game they were winning earlier in the week over frustration with referees.

On Saturday (AEST), Ball went off on the ref in question after the game.

"She's got a vendetta," Ball told ESPN. "I get that she's trying to break into the refereeing thing. But just giving techs and calling fouls, that's no way to do it. I know what she's trying to say, 'Oh I gave LaVar a tech, I'm strong.' That ain't got nothing to do with it. Just call the game."

Ball's assumption that the unnamed referee's calls were a result of her gender - and her attempt to prove herself - is the kind of rhetoric supporters and critics of his have grown accustomed to.

And he was certainly not finished.

"She's not in shape, she's not calling the game right. And she don't understand. And now she's trying to make a name for herself, so she's walking around like, 'You know I'm the only woman in here.' Yeah we get it," he said.

"I don't care if you're a woman, or a man or whatever, just be good at what you do. She needs to stay in her lane because she ain't ready for this. (Ref) the little kids first and then come up. Because she ain't did enough. She ain't got enough on her resume, I could tell."

Sexist LaVar Ball continues.

— Jake Brown (@JakeBrownRadio) July 28, 2017

Christine Brennan of USA Today called Ball's outburst a "despicable tirade", outraged the official was replaced.

"It will come as a surprise to absolutely no one that the ridiculous LaVar Ball has once again made a fool of himself and a mockery of the values we hope our kids learn from sports," she wrote.

"This should be unacceptable behaviour for any person in this country in 2017."

It was not the first time Ball, whose son LaMelo stars on his AAU team, has broken out the "stay in your lane" argument about a woman.

He told Kristine Leahy of Fox Sports to do the same back in May when she questioned the price and sales of Ball's line of basketball shoes.

After the game, former NBA ref Ed Rush - in charge of the company that supplies officials for the tournament - expressed his disbelief at Ball's comments regarding a vendetta.

"How can you have a history and she (works women's basketball) ... She just arrived here two days ago," he said.