Coach LaVar Ball sings different tune day after embarrassing AAU game

ORANGE, Calif. — LaVar Ball, a day after ripping into his players during halftime of the Big Ballers’ 109-57 loss to the Compton Magic, looked restrained — well, by his standards.

His AAU team held off Bluechip Nation of Arizona 88-85 Sunday at the Magic Memorial Day Festival. But Ball had some choice words for one player at halftime when the Big Ballers led 51-47.

“You want to try to make a highlight film rather than the easy way,’’ Ball snapped. “But then you miss and it’s like a stupid move.’’

Throughout the game, Ball’s voice was still the loudest Sunday in the gym at Orange Lutheran High School during the games for 17-under teams. But unlike Saturday, when Ball drew trash talk from opposing players, yelled profanities at his own players and worked the referees, he struck a different tone.

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After the game, addressing one of his players who committed a retaliatory foul late in the game, Ball referenced his own critics — such as people who have mocked him him for saying he could have “killed” Michael Jordan one-on-one and that his son Lonzo, a projected top pick for the NBA draft in June, already is better than Steph Curry.

“You got people calling me names and acting crazy on me,’’ he said. “I could easily snap and choke the hell out of them. But I don’t, because I know what comes with that. You know what I’m saying?

“So I let them say all they want. I only defend myself.’’