3 UCLA Players arrested in China

[B. McBannerson]

I'm not exactly sure what you are arguing here. 

Was responding to the part about us sitting in the US while this was going on overseas.  Some of us have lived in those countries and/or visited.  What is allowed in America doesn't mean it is everywhere else. 

[B. McBannerson]

Where did you see that reported?

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/21331147/ucla-players-liangelo-ball-cody-riley-jalen-hill-arrested-china-shoplifting

If you watch the video at the top of the link.  He says after hours of interrogation, the UCLA players eventually did tell authorities the truth and they were arrested.

[GGGG]

Was responding to the part about us sitting in the US while this was going on overseas.  Some of us have lived in those countries and/or visited.  What is allowed in America doesn't mean it is everywhere else. 

No sh*t. I never claimed otherwise.

[bilsu]

Asked if he was worried about LiAngelo, LaVar said, "He'll be fine. He'll be fine. Everybody making it a big deal; it ain't that big of a deal."

This shows that attitude of his father and many others.

Son gets caught shop lifting in a foreign country embarrassing UCLA and he does not think it is a big deal.

[jsglow]

Asked if he was worried about LiAngelo, LaVar said, "He'll be fine. He'll be fine. Everybody making it a big deal; it ain't that big of a deal."

This shows that attitude of his father and many others.

Son gets caught shop lifting in a foreign country embarrassing UCLA and he does not think it is a big deal.

It'll be a pretty big deal if he breaks rocks for 3 years.

[Hards Alumni]

It'll be a pretty big deal if he breaks rocks for 3 years.

Oh please let it happen.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

These young men deserve due process especially in light of their celebrity status.

Obvious troll is obvious.

[brewcity77]

For the sake of the father, I want it to happen.

For the sake of the son, who was unquestionably stupid but likely didn't realize the repercussions of such stupidity, I don't want it to happen.

[Hards Alumni]

For the sake of the father, I want it to happen.

For the sake of the son, who was unquestionably stupid but likely didn't realize the repercussions of such stupidity, I don't want it to happen.

Nah, by the time you're 18 years old, you know stealing is bad.

Hopefully, it was a talk that the coaches had with the players before they left. 

"This isn't America.  Don't get out of line at all because Chinese prison camps are a thing, and we may not be able to get you out of it."

[MU82]

For the sake of the father, I want it to happen.

For the sake of the son, who was unquestionably stupid but likely didn't realize the repercussions of such stupidity, I don't want it to happen.

This.

The arsewipe dad has put his sons in some no-win situations. There are basketball fans who otherwise would have no opinion on Lonzo who instead "hate" him only because of his dad. It's silly, and fans can be stupid, but it still "is."

I really, truly don't want this kid to do hard time in a Chinese prison ... but, yes, there would be a small measure of "Just STFU LaVar" satisfaction in seeing it happen.

[brewcity77]

Nah, by the time you're 18 years old, you know stealing is bad.

Hopefully, it was a talk that the coaches had with the players before they left. 

"This isn't America.  Don't get out of line at all because Chinese prison camps are a thing, and we may not be able to get you out of it."

I get the sense consequences with follow-through wasn't really a big thing in the Ball household, or this never would've happened in the first place.

[jsglow]

I don't want to overthink it.  Those kids made an unbelievably bad decision and are in real life changing jeopardy. 

[Lighthouse 84]

I get the sense consequences with follow-through wasn't really a big thing in the Ball household, or this never would've happened in the first place.

Not when you grow up in a house where you're told you're the greatest, can do no wrong and are given an "entitled" attitude.

[GGGG]

Oh please let it happen.

Really?  You want an 18 year old to be subject to hard labor in a foreign country?

So much for the 8th amendment.

[Pakuni]

Really?  You want an 18 year old to be subject to hard labor in a foreign country?

So much for the 8th amendment.

But his dad is a loudmouth, so it's OK.

I, for one, am glad no one on Scoop ever did anything dumb when they were 18.

[warriorchick]

But his dad is a loudmouth, so it's OK.

I, for one, am glad no one on Scoop ever did anything dumb when they were 18.

There is a huge difference between "never did anything dumb" and "stole items worth thousands of dollars".

And if you are asking how I know the stuff they lifted was worth that much, you have never been in a Louis Vuitton store.

[Lighthouse 84]

There is a huge difference between "never did anything dumb" and "stole items worth thousands of dollars".

And if you are asking how I know the stuff they lifted was worth that much, you have never been in a Louis Vuitton store.

Maybe if they'd gone to the Louis Vuitton knockoff store, the penalties wouldn't be as harsh, hey?

[MomofMUltiples]

Well, if coaches have not already emphasized the importance of following all laws in foreign countries on tours, I am sure it will be a large part of the pre-trip curriculum in the future.

[Lighthouse 84]

Well, if coaches have not already emphasized the importance of following all laws in foreign countries on tours, I am sure it will be a large part of the pre-trip curriculum in the future.

Given who their coach is, I'm guessing ethics aren't part of the curriculum.

[Jockey]

So, should we start giving kids hard prison time and "rock-breaking" for shop-lifting in the US?

There is a track record for this kind of stuff. The minority kids would get prison time and the white kids would get 20 minutes of community service.

Yes, the dad is a self-promoting jerk who is determined to get rich off of his kids, but it is very hard to believe some of what you people are posting. Almost disgustingly so.

[MUBurrow]

We don't need to assume anything to say that this was objectively stupid, and LiMelo deserves to be punished with his basketball season put in real jeopardy - but we can hope this gets figured out for him to avoid a draconian Chinese prison sentence, too. Lonzo by all accounts seems like a decent enough kid, and I think dictates that we slow our role about assuming anything about LaVar's parenting, millennials, or whatever else we want to attribute this to. The schadenfreude here is probably about 45% LaVar, 45% ESPN, 9% whatever else we're mad at today, and 1% LiAngelo.

[Hards Alumni]

There is a huge difference between "never did anything dumb" and "stole items worth thousands of dollars".

And if you are asking how I know the stuff they lifted was worth that much, you have never been in a Louis Vuitton store.

Exactly.  This isn't kids being kids.  They knew what they were doing, knew it was wrong, and made a conscious decision to do it anyway.  I don't want them to rot for 10 years, but I think 3 months could be life altering for them and it may set an example for others to not be so cavalier with their behavior.

And Sultan, I'm not saying the kids don't deserve their day in court (they do, obviously), but remember they are on Chinese soil.  The letter of the law is not the same worldwide.

[Jockey]

Not accusing anyone here specifically, but sorry guys, this is a racially charged issue. How many of you have ever advocated prison time for white teenage girls in America?

There is plenty of statistical evidence that blacks in America get more prison time than whites for the same crimes. Now we have people on this board who are advocating hard prison time for shoplifting.

Estimates are that somewhere between 11%=20% of the US population have shoplifted at sometime in their lives. Are you calling for them all to serve "hard time"? Should we build more prisons to house all of these teenage "criminals"?

In the last 10 years over 11,000,000 Americans have been caught shoplifting. Should they all be in prison?


So, I guess what I am asking to all of those wanting this kid to got o prison in a foreign dictatorship - do you want us to send millions and millions of american kids to prison? Are you all "Ted Baxter" hardliners? And, theoretically, would Ted Baxter advocate years of hard prison time if his 16 year old daughter stole some lipstick?

[Hards Alumni]

So, should we start giving kids hard prison time and "rock-breaking" for shop-lifting in the US?

There is a track record for this kind of stuff. The minority kids would get prison time and the white kids would get 20 minutes of community service.

Yes, the dad is a self-promoting jerk who is determined to get rich off of his kids, but it is very hard to believe some of what you people are posting. Almost disgustingly so.

You're creating a strawman argument that no one here will disagree with. 

[Jockey]

We don't need to assume anything to say that this was objectively stupid, and LiMelo deserves to be punished with his basketball season put in real jeopardy - but we can hope this gets figured out for him to avoid a draconian Chinese prison sentence, too. Lonzo by all accounts seems like a decent enough kid, and I think dictates that we slow our role about assuming anything about LaVar's parenting, millennials, or whatever else we want to attribute this to. The schadenfreude here is probably about 45% LaVar, 45% ESPN, 9% whatever else we're mad at today, and 1% LiAngelo.

Very well said. His suspension from the team would seem like adequate punishment.

It is sickening that some here want to see an 18 year old doing hard time in a communist prison camp over this. We would not see these same posts if it was some cute 17 year old gymnast.