LaVar Ball slammed by ESPN for ‘completely inappropriate’ comment to anchor Molly Qerim

‘You can switch gears with me anytime’: LaVar Ball slammed by ESPN for ‘completely inappropriate’ comment to anchor Molly Qerim after she tells him she wants to ‘switch gears’ during interview

  • Basketball dad LaVar Ball has been condemned by ESPN for making a suggestive remark to one of the network’s female anchors during an interview on Monday
  • In speaking on ESPN’s ‘First Take,’ Ball veered off topic, prompting host Molly Qerim to say, ‘LaVar, can I switch gears with you because I have a question here’
  • Ball quickly responded, ‘You can switch gears with me anytime’

Basketball dad and apparel company CEO LaVar Ball has been condemned by ESPN for making a suggestive remark to one of the network’s female anchors during an interview on Monday.

In speaking on ESPN’s ‘First Take,’ Ball veered off topic, prompting host Molly Qerim to say, ‘LaVar, can I switch gears with you because I have a question here.’

Ball quickly responded, ‘You can switch gears with me anytime,’ while appearing to mime that exact motion.

In speaking on ESPN’s ‘First Take,’ Ball veered off topic, prompting host Molly Qerim to say, ‘LaVar, can I switch gears with you because I have a question here.’ Ball quickly responded, ‘You can switch gears with me anytime,’ while appearing to mime that exact motion

Following Ball's comment, Qerim rolled her eyes and smiled before taking a deep breath and continuing

Following Ball’s comment, Qerim (left) rolled her eyes and smiled before taking a deep breath and continuing. Ball (right with son LaMelo) was on the show to discuss his oldest, Lonzo, who had just been traded from his hometown Los Angeles Lakers to the New Orleans Pelicans 

Co-host Stephen A. Smith responded by giving Ball a look out of the corner of his eye, while the other co-host, Max Kellerman, cracked a smile. 

Qerim rolled her eyes and smiled before taking a deep breath and continuing.  

ESPN released a statement condemning Ball: ‘LaVar Ball’s comment to Molly Qerim Rose was completely inappropriate and we made him aware of that.’

Towards the end of Monday’s show, Qerim referenced Ball’s earlier comment, saying, ‘If anyone’s calling HR today, it’s me.’

In his own defense, Ball released a statement through spokeswoman Denise White, claiming he did not intend to make a sexually suggestive remark.

‘[LaVar] was asked if he wanted to switch gears, in his mind switching gears was ‘changing the subject anytime’ and he said, ‘yes, you can switch gears with me anytime.’ At NO time was that intended or meant to be sexual in nature,’ read the statement, which was published by TMZ.

Former ESPN host Jemele Hill was among those criticizing both Ball and the network.

‘Kudos to Molly Querim for the professional way she handled LaVar Ball after his inappropriate comment,’ Hill wrote. ‘Maybe ESPN will have finally learned its lesson about putting him on TV.’

In 2017, Ball told a female anchor on Fox Sports, ‘stay in your lane.’ 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk