After watching the Los Angeles Lakers land the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft during Tuesday night’s NBA draft lottery, LaVar Ball — father of top point-guard prospect Lonzo Ball and patriarch of Big Baller Brand — made a celebratory appearance on FS1’s “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” on Wednesday. During his visit, he got into a testy exchange with co-host Kristine Leahy that saw Ball refuse to look Leahy in the eye, say she scared him to death, and tell her to “stay in [her] lane” when discussing Ball and Big Baller Brand.

Lavar Ball goes in on reporter part 1 pic.twitter.com/fA1SC7gN1O — Frankie Vision (@Frankie_Vision) May 17, 2017





The tension mounted several minutes into the 15-minute segment after Cowherd brought up the ZO2, Lonzo’s much-discussed $495 signature shoe, and asked LaVar Ball how sales were going.

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“I’ve sold a good amount, to me,” Ball said. “Like I’ve said, there’s different amounts.”

“How many?” asked Leahy, who has previously questioned Big Baller Brand’s branding and the price point of the ZO2, and who has said that Lonzo looks in interviews like he’s terrified to offer anything that might run contrary to what his father says.

“Stay in your lane,” Ball quickly replied, without looking behind him to where Leahy sat at her desk. Cowherd laughed.

“I’m just curious,” Leahy said.

“I don’t even worry about her over there,” Ball said.

“Why not?” Leahy asked. “That’s kind of disrespectful.”

“Every time — she scares me to death,” Ball said. “She said she scares Lonzo, Lonzo’s scared of me, I’m scared of her. That’s why I don’t even look that way. I don’t look over there because she scares me. I’m thinking of ‘Saw’ right now. Leave me alone. I’ll tell you: four or five hundred pair.”

“She’s a reporter,” Cowherd said. “Her job is to probe.”

“She can report to whoever she want behind her,” Ball said. “I’m talking to you, Colin.”

“What is your problem with me?” Leahy asked.

“My problem is, you are a hater,” Ball said, before launching into a falsetto impersonation. “‘I would never wear a Big Baller shirt.’ Well, good. Don’t even talk to Big Baller.”

“I didn’t say that,” Leahy said. “I said that I wouldn’t wear something, as a woman —”

“… that’s Big Baller,” Ball interjected. “It’s the same thing. With all due respect, you’re a great reporter. Just not reporting on me.”

“I have a right to say what shirt I would and wouldn’t wear,” Leahy said.

“Uh-oh, welcome to Big Baller Zone,” Ball replied.

Lavar Ball goes in on Reporter part 2 pic.twitter.com/ZnfQqWww8b — Frankie Vision (@Frankie_Vision) May 17, 2017





“I just said that if you wanted to work with Nike, Adidas and Under Armour, to maybe have something that appeals to women,” Leahy said.

“I thought that was a legitimate — I mean, I don’t have to agree, but I thought that was a pretty good point,” Cowherd said.

“I don’t agree with her,” Ball said, as Leahy added that she was framing her point as advice. “It’s a good point because y’all friends. I’m not friends with her. I don’t even see her. What’s this show about again? Ain’t we talking about shoes? I don’t want to talk about that. Next.”

“Well, I think that in order to have a successful company, you’re going to have to have women who like your brand,” Leahy said.

“Uh, yeah, if you have a women’s company,” Ball replied. “But anyways.”

“Oh, so you’re not marketing to women?” Leahy asked.

“We’re talking about Big Baller Brand,” Ball said.

Here’s where we note that there is a section on the Big Baller Brand website specifically labeled “WOMEN,” where Ball sells nine shirts for female consumers.

Cowherd took the reins back at that point, steering the conversation into the pressure that LaVar Ball’s public comments and persona have put on his sons and comparing it to the upbringings and professional development of athletes like the Williams sisters, Tiger Woods and Oscar De La Hoya. Shortly thereafter, though, the discussion turned to comments that Cowherd’s Fox Sports colleague Jason Whitlock made about Lonzo rapping as a way to gain “street appeal,” which Ball denied before firing back.

Lavar Ball goes in on Reporter part 3 ???????????? pic.twitter.com/ef91OyzbqI — Frankie Vision (@Frankie_Vision) May 17, 2017

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