LaVar Ball has pulled his second son, LiAngelo, out of UCLA midway through his freshman year rather than subject him to a prolonged suspension. It may have been best for the 6-6 wing, who was the 223nd-ranked recruit in the class of 2017 and has not yet demonstrated the same skills as his brother, Lonzo Ball, the number one draft pick of the Los Angeles Lakers, to sit out the year and transfer to another school, where he could get a fresh start and playing time necessary to become an NBA prospect.
But that’s not likely to happen.
“I’m going to make him way better for the draft than UCLA ever could have,” dad claimed, reiterating his previous claims his middle son would only stay in college for one year before declaring for the NBA draft.
Ball was one of three players, along with Cody Riley and Jalen Hands, who were arrested by Chinese police and charged with shoplifting from three stores in a high end mall near their team hotel in Hangzhou while the Bruins were on a trip to China before Thanksgiving. Ball has not played since. “I’m not going to sit around and wait,” Lavar Ball said. “He wasn’t punished this bad in China. We get back over here and the consequences were even stiffer than China. So they ‘re in jail here.”
LaVar never bothered to tell the UCLA coaching staff his son was withdrawing from school.
The decision casts serious doubt as to whether LaMelo, the youngest Ball brother, will ever play for UCLA. LaMelo Ball committed to the Bruins last year, but has since withdrawn from Chino HIlls High School to be home schooled and train under his father. He already has his own Big Ballers’ signature shoe, which could put his college eligibility in jeopardy.
As for UCLA, the good news is Bruins’ coach Steve Alford can now concentrate on the season without being part of an ongoing reality show. LaVar Ball had been critical of the Bruins for bringing “the best shooter” on the team off the bench before this.
