LaVar Ball joined the CBS Sports Flagrant 2 podcast to talk about the burgeoning NCAA bribery scandal and, of course, LaVar had something worthwhile to say:
Every summer. They keep coming every summer to get me to say ‘yes.’ They offered you money, they offered to take care of the AAU team (LaVar runs), they’re gonna give everybody uniforms, everybody shoes. I mean, it’s just, any kind of way.
But see the word got out that LaVar don’t need that. Someone even had a false accusation that said, ‘Oh LaVar asked me for $200,000.’ I was like, ‘Wow, that’s funny.’ What am I gonna do with $200,000? After I’ve bought a car and paid some bills I’m stuck right where I’m at. So $200,000 ain’t gonna do nothing.
Here’s the important thing to note: the Ball family is in a position where $200,000 doesn’t help them all that much.
Good for them.
Honestly.
I’ll never knock a man for find a way to support his family.
But how many families in America are in that position? Not many. More importantly, how many of these elite high school basketball players come from families that couldn’t use $200,000? That’s a part of this story that hasn’t been talked about enough. When you come from an impoverished back ground and that $200,000 -- or the two or three grand that kids in the FBI complaints mentioned -- get offered to you, are you really going to say no?
I doubt it.
LaVar Ball is doing great for himself, but his current position in life is not the norm.