Mother Of Mark Sears Issues Statement After Tide All-American Benched In LSU Game

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The mother of Crimson Tide basketball All-American point guard Mark Sears released a statement Monday after making comments on social media indicating that her son had been benched during Alabama's win Saturday over LSU.

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As Patch previously reported, Sears was pulled after logging 17 minutes on the court and did not play in the second half. He finished with no points.

Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats said following the win that he made the decision to go "with the guys in the second half that I thought gave us the best chance to win this game."

Following the game and amid the swirling questions about Sears, Lameka Sears responded to several comments from friends that were the shared to wider audiences on social media, showing Lameka Sears commenting that she did not agree with the decision to bench her son.

One such comment that widely circulated showed Lameka Sears say "I don't think he played badly! He just was denied the chance to finish! Period!"

This comment was picked up by numerous media outlets, blogs and video shows, prompting the mother of the Crimson Tide All-American to published a follow-up response.

"As a Mother, while I may not agree with the decision, I recognize and respect Coach [Nate] Oats and the entire Alabama's coaching staff," she said. "I did not agree with the choice to keep Mark on the bench for the entire second half, but I fully understand that in sports, especially at this level, these moments happen, and we all learn and grow from them. Mark didn't perform poorly (my opinion) —sometimes shots just don't fall, but every player deserves a chance to regain their rhythm!"

Lameka Sears then said her son's emotion on the bench was a reflection of his passion and commitment to his teammates.

"We're proud of how he continues to handle those moments with maturity and focus," she said. "Mark and his teammates have put in blood sweat and tears into the success of this program! He's not an entitled individual, he understands the value of hard work and a strong work ethic because of who we are as his parents have instilled that in him! If you know anything about Mark Sears you would know that!"

"Also please understand that I am his Mother and he will always be my Son period; even when the ball stops bouncing," she added. "At what has been misinterpreted as disrespect is simply a Mother's love and a level of protection I will always be that Mom!"

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