Editorial

LaVar Ball Pulls His Son LiAngelo Out Of UCLA Following Suspension

(Photo by Joshua Blanchard/Getty Images for Crosswalk Productions )

David Hookstead Sports And Entertainment Editor
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LaVar Ball has reportedly yanked his son LiAngelo out of UCLA following a suspension for shoplifting in China.

TMZ reported the following:

It’s a stunning move … LiAngelo Ball will no longer be on the UCLA basketball team and, in fact, he will not be a student at UCLA … because his father, LaVar Ball, is removing him from the institution … TMZ Sports has learned. 

We’re told LaVar believes the suspension was unfair, especially since the charges were dropped. LaVar’s people tell TMZ Sports the famous dad thinks, “There’s no need to break down a kid’s spirit for making a mistake.”

Our sources say LiAngelo is not officially withdrawn from the school but he’s at home and will not return to UCLA. 

This is huge news, but hardly surprising. The writing has been on the wall for this one ever since it happened. UCLA suspended him as soon as he returned to America, and now it looks like he’ll never ever play a single second on the court for the Bruins.

What a wild turn of events. One day you’re a big time recruit for UCLA, the next you’re getting arrested in China and before long you’re out of school.

The most disappointing thing about this whole situation is that we’re never going to get that Donald Trump/LaVar Ball press conference I’d hoped for. That would have made my life complete. I could have died a happy man knowing those two were in the same room together. Alas, that’s clearly never going to happen at this point. A real shame if I’ve ever heard of one.

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