If you’re not a basketball fan, you might have missed LaVar Ball in 2017.

Like all great sports dads, he lives through his kids. Papering over crippling self doubt and screaming from the stands. Making sports not fun.

LaVar is the father of the Ball brothers: Lonzo, LiAngelo and LaMelo. Stars of a new reality TV show, Ball in the Family. They’re Los Angeles locals, engrained in their city with Lonzo having also played one year at UCLA.

Dreams were fulfilled when Lonzo was selected #2 in the NBA Draft as a point guard for the LA Lakers. Hyped by all as heir apparent to Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson.

LaVar owns Big Baller Brand, a footwear and apparel company. When Nike came calling with a $10 million rookie deal for Lonzo, LaVar demanded $1 billion to collaborate with Big Baller Brand. Once Lonzo was drafted by the Lakers, he upped this to $3 billion to sponsor his three sons. Nike split.

This is the Donald Trump of sports dads, feeding the outrage machine of sports media with clownish boasts and grandstanding. Talking heads filled hours debating his exploits, some supporting his outspoken style, many more tiring of his constant airtime.

Naturally LaVar continued to make yet more outlandish claims, none greater than the first of our Top 5 LaVar Ball moments for 2017.

1. Saying he’d beat Michael Jordan 1 on 1

This really got the Ball rolling. People all over the world heard about the guy who averaged 2.2 points in college saying he’s greater than the best of all time. “He cannot stop me one-on-one. He better make every shot ’cause he can’t go around me. He’s not fast enough.”

2. Releasing a US$495 rookie sneaker for Lonzo

When some critised the price point of these shoes, LaVar clapped back that if you can’t afford them, then you’re not a big baller. Interesting that Lonzo himself doesn’t even regularly wear the shoes, rocking a mix of Nike, Adidas and BBB.

3. Pulling his team off the court after a tech foul

In a playoff game for LaMelo’s Big Ballers AAU team, LaVar forfeited the game up 69-60 after swearing at a ref and being given a technical foul. This incident fuelled the internet’s dislike for LaVar as petulant baby man.

4. Taking his kids out of college and high school to play pro in Lithuania

In late November, shortly after middle child LiAngelo was arrested in China for shoplifting on a UCLA tour, LaVar announced he was withdrawing LiAngelo from college and LaMelo from high school ball to play professionally overseas.

The idea is to earn money while preparing for future NBA Drafts. However LiAngelo is considered a long shot to make the NBA and playing college ball at UCLA might have been a sweet option.

Let alone teenage LaMelo Ball being dropped into a small Lithuanian village to hone his skills against grown men.

5. The time he was on WWE

The moment that spawned a thousand memes. No sports dad has ever flown so high.

But in the end, he won big. Just like Trump. Trolling works. Plus Lonzo just bought him a US$400,000 Rolls Royce for Christmas.

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