OT: LiAngelo Ball, two other UCLA players arrested in China for shoplifting

[huskymedic]

Whoa Nellie, that is absolutely NOT a good sign. I really thought China would sweep the failed 5-finger fools out the door with Alford and their UCLA cronies. Time to quickly consider pleading down to whatever lesser administrative charges, or to plan for a longer stay potentially in less cushy surroundings than Hangzhou's Hyatt.

Being reported now that they have surveillance video of them shoplifting from 3 stores...

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Being reported now that they have surveillance video of them shoplifting from 3 stores...

Almost everything's video'd on major city streets, in high-end malls, etc. 3 times dummies!

 

[Jaker]

Bamboo slivers under the finger nails will probably cure this

 

[RockyMTblue2]

3 guys with the world at their feet and they go to an authoritarian country and shop lift! I'm assuming they will get a pass and be playing in December. Just another reason to pass on men's college ball.

Good review here: LiAngelo Ball could face Chinese jail time

 

[huskyrob1]

I’m sure the last thing China wants is an incident over these kids, so I expect they’ll be released.

But holy crap. How stupid are those kids? Could they have picked a worse place to commit a felony?

And now LaVar says he will hold a press conference....he may get them shot.

The big question is who will be giving LaVar moral support and standing at his side at the press conference? Magic? MJ? Yao Ming? Johnny Cochran?

 

[MadDogRevival]

I would get a good dose of evil pleasure if they had to do a couple of months in a Chinese jail.

 

[huskyrob1]

I would get a good dose of evil pleasure if they had to do a couple of months in a Chinese jail.

If the Chinese are smart they'll give them ten thousand hours of community service playing for the Chinese National Team.

 

[MadDogRevival]

If the Chinese are smart they'll give them ten thousand hours of community service playing for the Chinese National Team.

Easy name reorg -
LiAngelo Ball -----> Angelo Ball Li

 

[Hankster]

I heard what they fingered was "Made In USA"

*baddda bing* "snare drum in the background"

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Inconveniently, 2 of UCLA's 3 Stooges (Ball & Riley) are over 18 years old. Even if the third stooge (Hill) was the only one caught on video stealing stuff, he may still get a slight benefit of the doubt as a 17 year old minor.

Side topic 1: Staying at the Hangzhou Hyatt Regency at roughly $260/night (CN¥1,750) + meals and receiving legal advice from an average, English-speaking local attorney at ballpark $375/hour (CN¥2,500), what's the likelihood the 3 Stooges have received absolutely no illegal benefits as defined by the NCAA? Even if funded by the Baller BSers?

Side topic 2: Due to limited local interest (NBA yes, NCAA not so much), the Georgia Tech-UCLA game was moved from Shanghai's new world-class Mercedes Benz Arena to the far less posh Baoshan Arena (2011). After only 4K attended the game, wonder whether the Pac-12 will follow through with Yale's currently scheduled game against Cal ... ?

 

[Jaker]

BillWalton did a great job of calling the players out before the game. Saying that not only did they embarrass UCLA, but more importantly, theyembarrassed the United States of America. I would not be surprised if after this is cleared up, UCLA shelves these players.

 

[Dave]

The big question is who will be giving LaVar moral support and standing at his side at the press conference? Magic? MJ? Yao Ming? Johnny Cochran?

Pretty sure it won't be Johnnie Cochran

 

[intlzncster]

3 guys with the world at their feet and they go to an authoritarian country and shop lift! I'm assuming they will get a pass and be playing in December. Just another reason to pass on men's college ball.

Sweet.

 

[intlzncster]

BillWalton did a great job of calling the players out before the game. Saying that not only did they embarrass UCLA, but more importantly, theyembarrassed the United States of America. I would not be surprised if after this is cleared up, UCLA shelves these players.

Pretty sure Bill Walton took it the whole way home with:

I want to apologize right now on behalf of the human race for this travesty.

 

[Robertelamin]

Pretty sure Bill Walton tool it the whole way home with:

I want to apologize right now on behalf of the human race for this travesty.

Haha. I was watching it and thought that was over the top, even for him.

 

[Dove]

I would get a good dose of evil pleasure if they had to do a couple of months in a Chinese jail.

That would be so ironic...LiAngelo Ball in a Chinese prison making Big Baller sneakers.

 

[freescooter]

These guys are clearly dumber than dirt. Did they not know they were in a foreign country? And one that is not exactly our best friend? They might not just let this go with a stern talking to followed by community service talking to school kids. And when they get back one would hope that the penalty for causing an international incident is a bit more than missing the first half of a game against Idaho State.

 

[huskymedic]

WaPo: Trump personally asked Xi Jinping to help resolve case of UCLA basketball players arrested in China

>>After Trump raised the matter, Xi promised to look into the case and ensure the players would be treated fairly and expeditiously, said a U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. Chief of Staff John F. Kelly has been in touch with the families of the players and spoken with UCLA Coach Steve Alford, and Kelly remains in contact with Chinese authorities, the official added. This official indicated that charges against the players have been reduced and that the case is proceeding toward a resolution.<<

 

[Chuck]

WaPo: Trump personally asked Xi Jinping to help resolve case of UCLA basketball players arrested in China

>>After Trump raised the matter, Xi promised to look into the case and ensure the players would be treated fairly and expeditiously, said a U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. Chief of Staff John F. Kelly has been in touch with the families of the players and spoken with UCLA Coach Steve Alford, and Kelly remains in contact with Chinese authorities, the official added. This official indicated that charges against the players have been reduced and that the case is proceeding toward a resolution.<<

I know China is completely different than their crazy neighbors, but I guess these UCLA kids didn't see what happened to the US student that tried to take a propaganda poster in North Korea. Such arrogance. Would the President ask XI about the case if this was a random US student?

Also, I caught a couple minutes of the UCLA / GTech game. Was the low attendance expected?

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Was the low attendance expected?

Certainly lower anticipated interest interest to justify moving the game in advance from the world-class, new Mercedes Benz Arena (18K capacity) to an OK, but crappier 11K seat arena opened in 2011. Additionally, Chinese hoops fans are crazy about the over-the-top televised NBA and some about the local CBA games (attendance & TV), but NCAA games have minimal interest at this point.

Regardless, the PAC 12 and game sponsor Alibaba certainly must have hoped for far more than 4K. And, in particular related to Alibaba's Singles Day weekend marketing extravaganza (US$25 billion sales in 1 day vs Amazon Prime's est. $1 billion for 2017). For comparison, think Amazon Prime / Black Friday hybrid on 'roids.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Haha. I was watching it and thought that was over the top, even for him.

Depends; how many pre-game doobies did Walton inhale?

 

[ctchamps]

The NCAA could learn a thing or two from the Chinese. Too bad this wasn't the UNC team. Of course I'm sure the UNC players have a better understanding of foreign countries with the new and improved African Studies courses they are taking.

Can't believe someone wrote this incident is an embarrassment to Trump!

Loved the interchange between @whaler11 and @Hans Sprungfeld. Whale's position: idiot adults should know foreign countries are tough on crime, players are idiots with no understanding of things and will do something criminal so therefore these games should never be scheduled. Hans calls him out and whaler is shocked someone would do that. I guess The Boneyard falls under the category alien world.

@boba is correct about "stupid not having an age limit with The Boneyard proving it". At the top of my bucket list is living to 100 and making a death bed post in this forum. I promise you it will be a doozy.

Never been to China. And yet @WestCoastHusky, I knew pretty much everything you wrote. I must be pretty psychic.

But not as psychic as @whaler11 or @Da_Aisijimo_Gou who prior to Jalen's incident kind of had psychic hits. Whale as I indicated above and Da with this paragraph:

"As I suggested above, UCLA's 3 fools may benefit from President Trump's visit and shared desire by Chinese authorities to conveniently make the issue (them) go away. Not that I'm a gambler, but I'd put some of whaler's money on Beijing pressuring local Hangzhou law enforcement to continue holding the 3 Stooges for a few days in their lakeside hotel. Or, they may be quietly scooted over to UCLA's Shanghai hotel."

Too bad UConn's idiots didn't scoot quietly.

 

[MadDogRevival]

Darn it. I hate the fact that, for a second time, our President has intervened in a high profile foreign case.
The first was Clinton asking Singapore to not cane the little S---T who was spray painting cars.
Now this one.

I hate the international image of Americans as smug, condescending, entitled.

I wish each president had called up their equivalent and said, "give 'em an extra shot with the cane for me."

It's fundamental - gotta be on your best behavior when you're in a foreign country; if you have any doubt about the abundance of rights provided to American criminal defendants, do something to get arrested pretty much anywhere else and you'll get a great civics lesson (see Amanda Knox, e.g. - in Italy, they can hold you for a year without charging you. Unbelievable.)

 

[whaler11]

The NCAA could learn a thing or two from the Chinese. Too bad this wasn't the UNC team. Of course I'm sure the UNC players have a better understanding of foreign countries with the new and improved African Studies courses they are taking.

Can't believe someone wrote this incident is an embarrassment to Trump!

Loved the interchange between @whaler11 and @Hans Sprungfeld. Whale's position: idiot adults should know foreign countries are tough on crime, players are idiots with no understanding of things and will do something criminal so therefore these games should never be scheduled. Hans calls him out and whaler is shocked someone would do that. I guess The Boneyard falls under the category alien world.

@boba is correct about "stupid not having an age limit with The Boneyard proving it". At the top of my bucket list is living to 100 and making a death bed post in this forum. I promise you it will be a doozy.

Never been to China. And yet @WestCoastHusky, I knew pretty much everything you wrote. I must be pretty psychic.

But not as psychic as @whaler11 or @Da_Aisijimo_Gou who prior to Jalen's incident kind of had psychic hits. Whale as I indicated above and Da with this paragraph:

"As I suggested above, UCLA's 3 fools may benefit from President Trump's visit and shared desire by Chinese authorities to conveniently make the issue (them) go away. Not that I'm a gambler, but I'd put some of whaler's money on Beijing pressuring local Hangzhou law enforcement to continue holding the 3 Stooges for a few days in their lakeside hotel. Or, they may be quietly scooted over to UCLA's Shanghai hotel."

Too bad UConn's idiots didn't scoot quietly.

FWIW @Hans Sprungfeld didn’t really call me out. He made passive aggressive comments that would lead one to believe he disagreed but never actually challenged what I actually posted.

He was much more interested in lecturing about how the tone of posts can create positive change in the world.

Had he called out the opinion rather than discussing grammar and misunderstanding the definition of the word ‘merely’ it would have made a lot more sense.

Sure they ended up leaving 3 players behind with legal issues in China for the sake of playing a game in front of less than 4k people. What a huge success - let the towel snapping begin at UCLA! Bonuses for the athletic department! What a great idea and flawless execution!

Maybe next year they can take the football team to North Korea. What could go wrong?

 

[champs99and04]

I don't know why I insist on defending these hooligans, but I think it's possible to both be 1.) Keenly aware that you're in a foreign country, and 2.) Ready to shoplift without it ever occurring to you how the two might be connected. Kind of like how Jalen Adams may not have made the connection that he was high until it was time for him to flee the scene or I might not have made the connection that the wall I'm standing behind is the one I was just painting when I lean against it in my brand new shirt. I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt here and assuming that this wasn't premeditated.

So yes @superjohn I'm willing to go on record and admit that I am stupid enough to make this mistake. I'm probably not ballsy enough to to attempt it, in any country, but that's why I'm typing away safely from the confines of the US of A and they're thinking about how many sprints they're going to have to run when they get back from their 8 million mile plane ride. You don't see Avon Barksdale on the streets much though now do you? That's because the greatest gangsters like myself hire people to commit crimes for them if and when they need crimes to be committed.