Donnie Reporting Live From China: LiAngelo Ball Currently On "Hotel Arrest"
(SI) Three UCLA freshman men’s basketball players were released on bail Wednesday morning in Hangzhou, China, after being arrested for allegedly shoplifting, reportsESPN.com’s Arash Markazi.
LiAngelo Ball, the younger brother of Los Angeles Lakers rookie guard Lonzo Ball, Cody Riley and Jalen Hill, were arrested Tuesday afternoon for allegedly stealing from a Louis Vuitton store next to the team’s hotel in Hangzhou.
According to the report, all three players were released around 4 a.m. Wednesday and will be required to stay at a hotel until their legal situation is cleared up.
One of the most common questions people ask me is “Donnie, why haven’t the Chinese locked you up yet?” While it is true I operate most of the time in a legally grey area, I also know when to cross the line and when not to(until I eventually cross the wrong line and get deported). I don’t talk Chinese politics, I don’t attend Free Tibet rallys, I don’t sell drugs, and I sure as hell don’t shoplift from god damn Louis Vuitton! Come on LiAngelo! If you’re going to steal some LV swag make sure it’s a knock-off so the store owner can’t run to the cops. I promise you all the WAGs in training back at UCLA won’t be able to tell the difference.
On a more positive note, I’m starting to realize that Lavar Ball is a very smart man. With this new reality show, he has positioned his family at the intersection of the basketball, business, and entertainment. Now in the world of basketball and business, talent, good judgement, and intelligence are all very important qualities one must have to be successful. However, in the world of entertainment, you can be an absolute train wreck and it can still result amazing “content.” I was planning on never watching “Ball In The Family” but now will probably tune in for the “LiAngelo Goes To Chinese Jail” episode. (By the way, Office Manager Brett has also found this sweet spot). The future of the Ball family can go a few different ways:
1.His sons could all go onto prolific NBA careers and Big Baller Brand could become a behemoth in the fashion and business worlds.
2. LiAngelo Ball spends the next decade in Chinese jail while the other Ball brothers start to fizzle out within the next few years, unable to deal with the pressures put on them by their overbearing and brash father. Big Baller Brand shits the bed but ends up being bought out by Dave Portnoy as a joke. A very expensive joke that Chernin Group and our CFO don’t find very funny.
3. Some combination of the two (most likely).
Whatever happens, the Ball family stands to make a BOATLOAD of cash in the next five years, and thus is the genius of Mr. Ball.
P.S. It’s a shame Lavar cancelled his press conference this morning, this ESPN guy was super excited about being the only American Journo in town and I would have loved to rain on his Jarade