Less than one month after LaVar Ball's son was detained in China after being accused of shoplifting, Ball told ESPN on Monday that he has pulled freshman LiAngelo Ball from UCLA after not playing any games for the university.
LiAngelo Ball was detained by Chinese authorities during a team trip to China in November. After pleas by President Donald Trump and the US State Department, Ball, and two other freshmen players at UCLA, were allowed to leave the country, and had the charges dismissed.
The three players have remained indefinitely suspended by the program. Teammates Cody Riley and Jalen Hill remain suspended by UCLA. So far, the three have missed the Bruins' first eight games of the 2017-18 season.
Father LaVar ball blamed UCLA for the situation.
"I'm not sitting back and waiting," LaVar Ball told ESPN. "He wasn't punished this bad in China."
"We get back over here and the consequences were even stiffer than China. So basically they're in jail here," Ball added.
LaVar said that his son LiAngelo Ball is not going to transfer schools this season, but will look at other playing options. LiAngelo is eligible to enter the NBA Draft in 2018.
LaVar's oldest son Lonzo played for UCLA last season before being drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers. LaVar's youngest son LaMelo was committed to join UCLA in 2019, but a source told ESPN that is unlikely to happen at this point.
