Case Against Bruins Dismissed, LaVar Ball Questions Trump’s Assistant and UCLA Now on Trial

PHILADELPHIA– How quickly they forget.

Just four days ago, President Donald Trump intervened with Chinese President Xi Jinping to secure the release of three UCLA players, Li Angelo Ball, Cody Riley and Jalen Hill. The three Bruins had been arrested for shoplifting from stores in a high end mall located near the their team hotel in Hangzhou during the team’s good will trip to Shanghai for a game against Georgia Tech.

Ball’s father had a convenient memory lapse when the subject was brought up after the UCLA returned to Los Angeles.

“Who?” he said of Trump. What was he over there for? Don’t tell me nothing, everybody wants to make it seem like he helped me out.”

In the wake of expeditious treatment, Trump asked for, and later received-, public thank yous from the three players. Then he sought the same from LaVar.

“As long as my boy’s back, I’m fine,” Ball told ESPN. “I’m happy with how things were handled. A lot of people like to say a lot of things that they thought happened over there. Like I told him, ‘They try to make a big deal out of nothing sometimes.’ I’m from L.A. I’ve seen a lot worse things happen than a guy taking some sun glasses. My son has built up enough character that one bad decision doesn’t define him. Now if you can go back and say when he was 12-years old he was shoplifting and stealing cars and going wild, then it’s a different thing.”

In the meantime, there are reports UCLA officials are wrestling with what kind of punishment the players should receive. Some reportedly want a half season that would make them eligible for the PAC 12 season. Others would prefer a year, but there is the fear the players might transfer. UCLA is on trial here. Their ultimate decision will define them the place of athletics in the university with regard to moral character.