In a battle that pretty much sums up 2017, two of the most obnoxious personalities in America today have been going head-to-head: LaVar Ball and Donald Trump.
The issue began when LaVar’s son LiAngelo, Cody Riley, and Jalen Hill—all members of the UCLA Bruins basketball team—were arrested for shoplifting from three different stores in China. All three were released on bail, which is fortunate, considering petty theft yields more serious punishment in China than America.
President Trump took to Twitter to claim credit for the boys’ release.
Do you think the three UCLA Basketball Players will say thank you President Trump? They were headed for 10 years in jail!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 15, 2017
In a public statement, all three athletes thanked Donald Trump for organizing their release.
To the three UCLA basketball players I say: You’re welcome, go out and give a big Thank You to President Xi Jinping of China who made…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 16, 2017
When asked in an ESPN interview about Donald Trump’s role in his son’s release, Lavar had the following to say:
“Who? What was he over there for? Don’t tell me nothing. Everybody wants to make it seem like he helped me out.”
This prompted a series of rage tweets from the President:
Now that the three basketball players are out of China and saved from years in jail, LaVar Ball, the father of LiAngelo, is unaccepting of what I did for his son and that shoplifting is no big deal. I should have left them in jail!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2017
Shoplifting is a very big deal in China, as it should be (5-10 years in jail), but not to father LaVar. Should have gotten his son out during my next trip to China instead. China told them why they were released. Very ungrateful!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2017
Why the President of the United States has made LaVar Ball of all people a priority is anyone’s guess but his tweets were addressed by Ball in a bizarre CNN interview with Chris Cuomo.
More rage tweets followed:
It wasn’t the White House, it wasn’t the State Department, it wasn’t father LaVar’s so-called people on the ground in China that got his son out of a long term prison sentence – IT WAS ME. Too bad! LaVar is just a poor man’s version of Don King, but without the hair. Just think..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 22, 2017
…LaVar, you could have spent the next 5 to 10 years during Thanksgiving with your son in China, but no NBA contract to support you. But remember LaVar, shoplifting is NOT a little thing. It’s a really big deal, especially in China. Ungrateful fool!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 22, 2017
Despite the negative reactions from people who have used LaVar’s unwillingness to say “thank you” as a poor excuse to paint him as a bad father, the Ball family patriarch is laughing his way to the bank.
According to Apex MG Analytics, Ball’s feud with Trump has generated over $13 million in free advertising value for Big Baller Brand. This free advertising came just in time for the release of Big Baller Brand’s ZO2 Prime Remix Signature sneaker.
While LaVar Ball still has yet to thank Donald Trump, he did offer to send him a pair of ZO2s in a TMZ Sports interview with the hopes that the President will “ease up a little bit.”
CHIVOMENGRO 
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