Posted on 11/21/2017 12:38:59 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Nov. 21 (UPI) -- Basketball dad LaVar Ball says he would've thanked President Donald Trump for getting his son out of China if he had used Air Force One.
Ball was on CNN Monday night when he made the claim. After several back-and-forths, Ball refused to thank President Trump for his help in getting LiAngelo Ball and his UCLA Bruins basketball teammates out of China.
Ball, Cody Riley and Jalen Hill were questioned about allegedly stealing sunglasses from a Louis Vuitton store earlier this month in Hangzhou. They were later arrested and released on bail. Trump said he coordinated with Chinese President Xi Jinping to have the student athletes released.
On Nov. 15 he tweeted that he wondered if the three Bruins would thank him. Trump also said that the players "were headed for 10 years in jail."
The players held a news conference after they arrived back in the United States, thanking President Trump, among other parties, for their release. They admitted guilt and the charges have since been withdrawn by Chinese authorities. They were indefinitely suspended by the school.
Trump went on to criticize LaVar Ball and said that he "should have left" the players in jail.
"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," Trump tweeted Sunday. "I should have left them in jail!"
(VIDEO-AT-LINK)
Ball responded last week during an interview with ESPN, questioning why Trump was over in China.
"Shoplifting is a very big deal in China, as it should be [5-10 years in jail], but not to father LaVar," Trump tweeted Sunday. "Should have gotten his son out during my next trip to China instead. China told them why they were released. Very ungrateful!"
White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders discussed the topic Monday, saying President Trump's comment about leaving them in jail was "rhetorical."
Ball was on CNN Tonight with Don Lemon Monday. He discussed his son LiAngelo and President Trump with stand-in host Chris Cuomo.
He began the interview saying he would never have imagined discussing geopolitics and the President of the United States on CNN.
"Never in my wildest dreams," Ball said.
(TWEET-AT-LINK)
Ball was asked if him not thanking the president was disrespectful.
"When somebody asks me a question, that's not disrespectful if I feel nobody did anything," Ball said. "I don't have to go around saying thank you to everybody."
Ball said there are a lot of "other matters to go around for the president to deal with that are political ... as far as me, let me deal with my son and let him do what he's going to do."
Ball also said that he doesn't have doubts about what Trump did, but he has "doubts about what he didn't do."
"I would have said thank you if he would have put him on his plane and took him home. Then I would have said, 'Thank you Mr. Trump for taking my boys out of China and getting them back to the U.S.' There is a lot of room on that plane. I would have said, thank you, kindly for that."
Despite going on air and talking to various national media outlets over the past year, Ball kept saying he wanted people to "leave him alone."
The Big Baller Brand CEO has 222,000 Twitter followers, more than LiAngelo Ball, but about half as many as Los Angeles Lakers rookie and oldest son Lonzo Ball.
Much as I hate to admit it
I think the Chicoms would have released them even if Trump hadn’t intervened
With college teams going over and the business in China they don’t need this in the background and headlines
Cover your bet, and add "or dead before the age of 30." Unless of course you have so many millions you don't know what to do with all of them. I've taken dogs in from the local shelter, so adopting a few bucks and giving them a good home would be more of the same....
“Article says that they held a press conference thanking Trump after they got back to the U.S.”
They read scripted statements prepared for them by someone else. At least they made that minimal effort. Dear ol’ Dad is diminishing their gesture and his own character.
Trump was right: he should have left these criminals to rot in a Chinese prison for a decade or two ..
Trump was 100% right when he sad he should have left these criminals to rot in a Chinese prison for a decade or two ...
His picture is in the dictionary under “entitlement”.
I wish the Secret Service would come out with a statement that says criminals do not pass the vetting to fly along with the POTUS.
But that would raise questions about how Hillary ever qualified to fly with Bill.
The blowback and shame should be unloaded on this guy. He deserves no less.
Happy Thanksgiving you ungrateful bastard.
He should have had them sent home in handcuffs.
Your black entitlement privilege card has expired.
The president rightly acted like a very disappointed father or grandfather. l This guy? He could take some lessons on successful parenting from the POTUS....
Bleh, LaVar —learn how to be a man and father....not just a sperm donor....
The man is a moron...
Filthy rich but they’re at the front of the reparations line.
Here’s to daddy’s new Chinese stores have to hang out closed signs real soon.
FU
Yuh Freeloading Welfare Queen...
It’s likely the President didn’t want to associate with petty thieves. I can’t blame him.
What a worthless Ungrateful!
Feel free to give LaVar your two cents worth at his company contact form. I did.
e-mail address LaVarIsAn@ssHole.com
Told him he is lower that whale dung at the bottom of the ocean.
https://bigballerbrand.com/pages/contact-us?contact_posted=true
The thieves would probably walk off with piles of AF1 swag if they were allowed on it.
I used to guard Air Force 1 and 2 when they came to Des Moines. They wouldn’t be able to steal a thing.
Mr Trump should be a little careful about helping anyone who is black ... most of them voted for Clinton anyway. And these great things he does they turn back against him. (The call to the widow ....now this?
If they’d let the 3 thieves onto Air Force I, they’d have to call in an exterminator afterward. That’s what scum those 3 are.
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