Court Club Elite, the supplier of referees to the annual Adidas Uprising Summer Championships and other basketball events, has cut ties with the shoe and apparel giant, stemming from the incident wherein they allowed LaVar Ball to remove a female official from a game.

The organization did not take things lightly as they were not pleased with how Adidas handled the situation, and favored the outspoken former football pro. They issued a statement, as reported by ESPN's Myron Medcalf, where they made it clear that their views are not parallel to what Adidas values anymore, as there was clearly an issue on integrity and professionalism involved.

“The events that led to the removal of a female official on Friday are something that shall not and will not be accepted within the officiating community. Adidas and their leadership acted in a manner that does not parallel our views on integrity or professionalism, and neither should be compromised as they were in this situation. It was clear that the actions of the official in enforcing and addressing unsporting behavior were defendable and fitting of the behavior displayed; however, the agenda and lack of courage to do the right thing by Adidas leadership sent a clear message that the game and those chosen to protect the integrity were not of priority.”

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Lionel Messi in front of the Adidas and Copa America logo, wearing a full black jersey with a questionmark on it

Fremont Farkas ·

It can be recalled that Ball threatened to withdraw his AAU team from the competition, including his youngest son, LaMelo, after he was called for a technical foul by the female referee. He then asked the officials from Adidas to replace her mid-game, and they obliged.

Adidas has yet to make an official statement following the recent developments involving them and Court Club Elite. However, it can be expected that they will make one soon, especially with the issue drawing a lot of attention from fans especially on social media. It will be something worth keeping an eye on, and it will be interesting to see how both parties will address it in the coming days.