NBA referees denounce LaVar Ball's intimidation of female official

The National Basketball Referees Association has roundly denounced LaVar Ball's treatment of a female official in the AAU circuit.

Ball, who coaches Team Big Baller Brand, had a female referee replaced after earning a technical in a match earlier this week. The officials wanted to organize an all-female officiating team for BBB's next game, but a compromise was reached in which two men joined one woman for the crew.

The National Basketball Referees Association took Ball to task Sunday in a scathing string of tweets.

Ball denied accusations of sexism when asked about the incident. He argued that the female official only targeted him and his son because they are celebrities, and said she was less qualified to officiate a match involving men.

"The only reason you know her is she gave me and my son a tech," Ball told ESPN's Jeff Borzello. "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."

He added, "It's not about me hating that lady or something like that. 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."