"She look like Witchiepoo": LaVar Ball predicted Molly Qerim-Jalen Rose breakup as he calls her crazy for 2019 incident

LaVar Ball has never been afraid or hesitant to speak and say it in any manner he wants to. The father of Lonzo and LaMelo Ball has often been trolled and criticized for this. While some have given him a pass, others have not. Back in 2019, he was banned from ESPN interviews after seemingly taking an inappropriate shot at Molly Qerim, who was then married to Jalen Rose.

Ball rarely backs down from a previous comment. He may even dig in to prove his point. In an interview with Vlad TV four years later, Ball had this to say about the entire episode:

(0:15 mark)

“Who cares what her last name is, the lady’s crazy. … She said ‘switch gears,’ I said the same thing. … Her mind is in the gutter thinking that every man want her. To me, she look like Witchiepoo. That’s not a good-looking woman to me.

“To Jalen [Rose], she might look good to him. That’s cool! … She was married to him. She ain’t married to him no more? I told you he was gonna get rid of that girl. You could tell! … Marry and end up breaking anyway. You don’t wanna learn.”

During the said First Take episode, LaVar Ball was responding to former co-host Max Kelleman’s questions about Lonzo Ball. Kellerman pointed out the point guard’s under 50% free-throw shooting and inability to hit perimeter shots.

The Big Baller Brand founder passionately defended his son. He said that the form would not matter when then-newly-acquired New Orleans Pelicans guard would start hitting shots. Molly Qerim interrupted and asked if she could “switch gears” with the guest.

LaVar Ball cheekily answered:

(0:22 mark)

“You can switch gears with me anytime.”

Stephen A. Smith, who was beside Ball in the said interview, could hardly believe what he had just heard.

Two years after the said incident, Jalen Rose and Molly Qerim announced on Instagram that they were divorced. They have remained good friends and often work together at ESPN.

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Lonzo Ball, LaVar Ball’s son, is expected to miss the 2023-24 season

Lonzo Ball has been sidelined due to an injury that was initially supposed to keep him out of action for only a few weeks. He has not played since January 14, 2022, after undergoing three separate left knee operations.

Back in March LaVar Ball, in the Gimme That Hot Sauce podcast, explained that the Chicago Bulls player has “debris in a nerve.” The father, though, was confident of his son’s return.

Bulls Vice President of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas had this to say during the team’s media day on their point guard’s status:

“Everything is going well. Going into the offseason, I think our expectation is that he’s not coming back next season and he’s going to continue on his recovery.

“If he comes back, it would be great but we’re just going to treat this offseason and getting ready for the season that he’s not going to be back.”

The Bulls, however, will not be waiving LaVar Ball’s son, who signed a four-year, $80 million deal in 2021. Chicago’s front office is convinced he will ultimately play for them again.