LaVar Ball has 'no second thoughts' about comments to female referee

LaVar Ball wants to clear the air.

The famed basketball dad and head coach of Big Baller Brand's AAU team took the opportunity to clarify comments he made Friday toward a female referee who gave him two technical fouls over the span of three days, saying he had "no second thoughts" about his choice of words.

"You guys are trying to make it like a gender thing. It's not that," Ball told reporters Saturday evening, according to Jeff Borzello of ESPN. "All I'm saying was, what's her name? Exactly. The only reason you know her is she gave me and my son a tech. And that's what it is when you ref somebody who's got a high celebrity. Every coach acts like that because the intensity of the game is so high. And I'm just saying, don't have no vendettas in here."

Ball was awarded a technical foul during a game Friday night by the same referee who rung him up for a technical foul on Wednesday. In the first instance, Ball threatened to pull his team off the court until the referee was eventually replaced.

Ball had originally stated that the referee was "not in shape," and that she "needs to stay in her lane."

"I don't care if all girls ref -- if they're good refs," Ball added. "Let's go ahead and do it. But it's not about teching up and making a scene.

"It's not about me hating that lady or something like that," he added. "She just got caught in a bad place: messing with me. She's good. She's probably a great ref with the women. But this men's stuff. It's a difference between women's basketball and men's basketball. Just because we go like that and don't hit the ball don't mean it's a foul. But don't get your feelings personal. And that's why people were like, 'She's a great ref.' To you, she's a great ref. Not to me. But it's OK."

Despite any controversy that may loom over his comments, Ball doesn't want to see the incident define the referee's career.

"I wish her the best. I don't want her to be like, 'I'm the one who gave LaVar a tech.' Don't let that be your career. Keep striving to be the best," he said. "Be a Big Baller. Order a Big Baller Brand shirt. I'll send it to her."