Time for UCLA to distance themselves from the Ball family

After this past week and weekend with LiAngelo Ball disgracing his family, his reputation, the University of California, Los Angeles and the college basketball community; it is time for UCLA to give up on the Ball family.

LiAngelo and his two fellow teammates, Cody Riley and Jalen Hill, were caught shoplifting from three high-end retail stores while on a trip to China to play Georgia Tech and now video surveillance has proved it to be true.

This is just a disgusting act knowing how much value the Ball family has. In the matter of a year and a half, Lavar Ball has single handedly put his family in the spotlight saying his three sons are the best to ever play the game of basketball. He put all of his efforts into training his sons, putting the oldest brother Lonzo through one year of college, giving him the most hype anyone has ever received since LeBron James entered the league back in 2003.

A press conference, an apology and a “suspension” should not be enough. LiAngelo Ball deserves to be removed from the team giving UCLA an excuse to remove itself from the Ball family circus.

LiAngelo has had a target on his back ever since his father Lavar Ball brought the family into the spotlight. He has also been labeled as the least of the talented brothers. Also no matter how you slice it, LiAngelo is still a star and yes the other two players probably deserve equal blame but children look up to people who are famous, who have a lot of money and LiAngelo fits that description. Ten-to-one LiAngelo instigated the whole thing and led the other two on and because LiAngelo is a star, the other two followed and thought nothing of it.

Lavar Ball has criticized head coach Steve Alford numerous times and blamed him for the loss last year against Kentucky in the NCAA tournament because he had “too many white guys on the court”.

UCLA has already seen the best Ball brother in Lonzo and would have to a maximum of six-plus years until younger brother LaMelo could be finished there.

The University does not need anymore of this and should leave the Ball family behind and restore itself back to before this incident occurred. Yes I completely understand that the Ball family and Lonzo’s skill set helped bring UCLA into the national spotlight but LiAngelo will probably not have the same impact Lonzo did so it is just better off for the university to get out while it still can.