After proclaiming that his son Lonzo -- a stellar freshman at UCLA -- is better than two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry (then doubling down on that claim), LaVar Ball was on the receiving end of some harsh criticism from Charles Barkley, who said earlier this week that Ball’s outlandish claims are bordering on stupidity.

“Just because you say some s---, doesn’t make it right,” Barkley said, via Sporting News. 

LaVar Ball went on FS1’s The Herd on Tuesday, where he shared his retort that cut straight to the bone. And for good measure, he tripled down on his belief that his son is better than Curry.

“If Charles thought like me, maybe he’d win a championship,” Ball said. “He says sometimes when stuff comes out of people’s mouths, it’s just stupid. Guess what? You talking, too. Everybody has an opinion on how things work. ... I know what my boy’s about. I know what work he put it in. It’s not a 1-on-1 sport, but if it is 1-on-1, I’m going to take the taller, faster, stronger guy.”

Ball, who is averaging 14.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 7.8 assists this season for the Bruins is arguably the top freshman in the country. At 6-foot-6, he has decided height advantage over the 6-foot-3 Curry. But Ball is also at a disadvantage given Curry’s NBA championship pedigree and proven ability at the next level.

Lonzo Ball is currently projected as the No. 5 pick to the 76ers in the upcoming draft, but it’s plausible that the Lakers could take a long look at Ball at No. 3 and set up a cross-state rival with Curry at Golden State. That scenario would settle the score on who really is the best player once and for all.