President Donald Trump escalated what has arguably been his most mindless feud yet by calling the father of a college basketball player “a poor man’s version of Don King, but without the hair” and an “ungrateful fool.”

It wasn’t the White House, it wasn’t the State Department, it wasn’t father LaVar’s so-called people on the ground in China that got his son out of a long term prison sentence - IT WAS ME. Too bad! LaVar is just a poor man’s version of Don King, but without the hair. Just think.. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 22, 2017

...LaVar, you could have spent the next 5 to 10 years during Thanksgiving with your son in China, but no NBA contract to support you. But remember LaVar, shoplifting is NOT a little thing. It’s a really big deal, especially in China. Ungrateful fool! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 22, 2017

“Everybody wants to make it seem like [Trump] helped me out,” the elder Ball told ESPN last week. “I’ve seen a lot worse things happen than a guy taking some glasses. My son has built up enough character that one bad decision doesn’t define him.”

In response, the president fumed that he should have left the players in jail, a charge that the White House later walked back.

Trump’s latest criticism seems to be in response to comments the elder Ball made on Monday night, that “if I was going to thank somebody, I’d probably thank President Xi.”

Experts told the New York Times that the players probably would have been released without Trump’s help, because― contrary to the president’s claims― shoplifting isn’t a serious crime in China.

The younger Ball and his teammates returned home last week, but they’ve been suspended indefinitely from the team.