This post was updated Dec. 4 at 1:21 p.m..
LaVar Ball is pulling his son, freshman forward LiAngelo Ball, out of UCLA, TMZ Sports reported.
The site reported that although LiAngelo Ball is not yet officially withdrawn from the university, he is at home in Chino Hills, California and will not return to the university.
“I’m going to make (LiAngelo Ball) way better for the draft (than) UCLA ever could have,” Lavar Ball told ESPN’s Darren Rovell.
LiAngelo Ball, the younger brother of former Bruin and current Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball, was one of three UCLA men’s basketball freshmen arrested during the team’s trip to China this fall. Charges were dropped for Ball and former four-star recruits Cody Riley and Jalen Hill.
The three were suspended from the team, although they were not suspended from the university. The Office of Student Conduct is still investigating the matter before deciding whether to punish the players in addition to the suspension from the team.
[Related: Timeline: How arrested basketball players spent their time in China]
In his only game as a Bruin at Pauley Pavilion – a preseason exhibition matchup – LiAngelo Ball scored 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting with two 3s. He played 16 minutes.
“We are exploring other options with (LiAngelo Ball),” LaVar Ball told ESPN’s Jeff Goodman. “He’s out of there.”
Lavar Ball is an idiot. Liangelo hasn’t learned his lesson and is lucky he isn’t locked up in a China jail. It’s doubtful that Liangelo will be getting into another big time college program and his draft stock is already going down.
His draft isn’t going down because he has no draft stock to move. He’s never been considered an NBA player. Ever. He’s lucky he got a scholarship to UCLA. The offer was obviously tied to Lonzo and LaMelo’s selection of UCLA.
let’s hope that the Ball sons kick Lavar to the curb.
They won’t. But if Lonzo did–it would make the most impact. He’s the only proven talent and has the NBA contract.
yeah, but not for long…
I believe this is the outcome the University was hoping for — transfer or otherwise leave UCLA. It spares the AD and others from making a decision (which should have already been made). Cody and Jalen should take note. One thing this fiasco has highlighted, among others, is the “one and done” recruitment of pro-prospects as opposed to student-athletes, Maybe that ship has sailed, but in the days when I was a student, most of the team was intact for four years. Most graduated – eventually. Perhaps a re-assessment of college sports is in order (naahhh).
So much for Gelo earning his way back to the team and showing he’s better than the shoplifter he was in China. In any case, thanks be to god, buddha, allah, cosmic force, et al, that UCLA is done with Lavar Ball. As a Lakers fan, I will still have to bear his presence but at least I will no longer be double-exposed to pro and college basketball Lavar Ball sideshows.
So much for the Lavar Ball is just putting on a show, otherwise he’s really a good dad narrative. I think Shoplifting-gate has shown him to be what many of us suspected–a greedy blowhard attention-seeking stage-daddy. UCLA isn’t Podunk U, we’ll get on fine without Ball and his sons. Plenty of blue chippers in the sea.