By Kayla Cohen ‘21, Staff Writer 

The UCLA basketball team’s trip to China quickly changed course when three freshman players were arrested for shoplifting. While the team was in China for a game, players LiAngelo Ball, Cody Riley, and Jalen Hill stole sunglasses worth approximately $750 from a Louis Vuitton store. Interestingly, this is not the first time LiAngelo Ball and the Ball family have circled the news. Not only does LiAngelo’s brother, Lonzo Ball, play for the Los Angeles Lakers, but his family is also filming a reality TV show. In addition, LiAngelo’s family has a famous brand known as “Big Baller Brand”. LiAngelo’s father, LaVar, told ESPN that the incident was not that big of a deal. The coach and father do not have the same opinion about this incident, and neither did the Chinese officials. The coach, Steve Alford, decided to bench the freshman from the game on Saturday, however, he did not specify the reason. Chinese officials were keeping the students in the country, causing President Trump and other US officials to get involved in order to resolve the case.

The drama surrounding UCLA had little effect on the team, who beat Georgia Tech 63-60; however, many are disappointed in the way the students acted as ambassadors of their school and the United States. Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott said, “We are very disappointed by any situation that detracts from the positive student-athlete educational and cultural experience that this week is all about. Whether in the United States or abroad, we expect our student-athletes to uphold the highest standards.” On November 11th, the team returned to Los Angeles. However, the three players remained in the hotel in China. Chinese authorities kept the players in China and spent a few days deciding how to handle the case.

Many students in the Newark Academy community closely follow the family and their brand. The Big Baller Brand symbol is known by the majority of the student body and the family is followed by several students on social media. LiAngelo Ball could likely have afforded those sunglasses, yet he might have stolen them from the store in an attempt to see if he could get away with it. This could be setting a bad example for his followers.

I interviewed a few NA students asking for their opinion on whether or not LiAngelo Ball is setting a bad example for the NA community. One 9th grader responded, “The Ball family is a bad influence, not only on Newark Academy students, but other students as well. LiAngelo Ball is very privileged yet is stealing which is disrespectful and does not show appreciation for what he has.” Another student answered, “The shoplifting is setting a bad example for NA students because people may think that if a celebrity like Liangelo Ball can shoplift, then anyone can do it.” The students agree that LiAngelo Ball’s actions are immoral and can have a detrimental influence on young students.

The students flew home on Tuesday, November 14th, one day after President Trump requested assistance from China’s president Xi Jinping. The matter with the Chinese authorities was fully resolved and the players returned to their families and school. Although the three players have returned to the US, the incident might have a lasting effect on students around the nation.