STEALING FROM THREE STORES ‘AIN’T THAT BIG OF A DEAL’

LaVar Ball, father of one of the three UCLA basketball players arrested in China, downplays the thefts and President Trump’s help in getting them freed

While the UCLA basketball team was in China, the players were given 90 minutes of free-time to explore the surroundings near their hotel. Three of the players, Cody Riley, Jalen Hall and LiAngelo Ball, took that opportunity to go on a shoplifting spree in three high-end stores.

After the three thieves had been arrested by the Chinese authorities, LaVar Ball, father of LiAngelo Ball, told the media:

“Everybody is making it a big deal. It ain’t that big of a deal.”

Of course it’s no big deal in the hood with its culture of criminality. As I’ve said before, you can take them out of the hood but you cannot take the hood out of them.

President Trump, who was also in China at the time, intervened on their behalf with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Chinese then released the three thieves and they returned home.

Once his son was back in the States, LaVar Ball downplayed Trump’s help and the thievery. On Friday he told ESPN:

“Everybody wants to make it seem like he [Trump] helped me out 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 glasses.”

President Trump responded to LaVar Ball with these two tweets on Sunday:

“Now that the three basketball players are out of China and saved from years in jail, LaVar Ball, the father of LiAngelo, is unaccepting of what I did for his son and that shoplifting is no big deal. I should have left them in jail.”

“Shoplifting is a very big deal in China, as it should be (5-10 years in jail), but not to father LaVar. Should have gotten his son out during my next trip to China instead. China told them why they were released. Very ungrateful.”

Trump was right in both Tweets. He should have left the three thieves in a Chinese jail. As it is, they have been suspended from the UCLA basketball team, but you can bet they will be reinstated soon.

And shoplifting is a big deal in China. The three thieves were facing up to 10years in a Chinese prison.

Let’s take a look at what LaVar Ball said “ain’t that big of a deal.” During their 90-minute free time, Cody Riley, Jalen Hall and LiAngelo Ball entered three high-end stores and stole merchandize from each store. Had they done that in California, they could have been charged with burglary.

California Penal Code 459 (Burglary) is when a person, upon entering a structure intends to commit a crime. So stealing from the first store would constitute theft, but thereafter stealing from the second and third store showed they entered those stores with the intent to commit the crime of theft. Thus in California they could have been charged with one count of theft and two counts of burglary.

In the hood, with its culture of criminality, burglary ain’t that big of a deal. But 90 percent of Americans do not live in the hood and they believe burglary is a big deal.

What LaVar Ball needs is a good head knocking and ass whipping.