LaVar Ball has removed his son LiAngelo Ball from UCLA’s basketball team.
“We are exploring other options with Gelo,” LaVar Ball told ESPN on Monday. “He’s out of there. I’m going to make him way better for the draft than UCLA ever could have.”
LiAngelo, the middle of the famous Ball brothers and a freshman at the university, is one of three members of the team who were suspended indefinitely for reported shoplifting last month in China.
Following his suspension, he did not play in a single game. His teammates Cody Riley and Jalen Hill were also accused of stealing from a Louis Vuitton store in China and have since not appeared in any games.
“I’m not sitting back and waiting,” LaVar Ball said in reference to his son’s suspension. “He wasn’t punished this bad in China. We get back over here, and the consequences were even stiffer than China. So, basically, they’re in jail here.”
Steve Alford, who coaches for UCLA, issued a statement in reference to the news on Monday.
“We learned today of LiAngelo Ball’s intention to withdraw from UCLA,” he said. “We respect the decision he and his family have made, and we wish him all the best in the future.”
Where Ball will play this season remains unknown.
“He’s not transferring to another school,” LaVar Ball said. “The plan is now to get Gelo ready for the NBA draft.”
