You can thank the mischievously stupid actions of three University of California, Los Angeles students for adding to President Trump’s list of diplomatic successes.
In what could’ve been a repeat of Otto Warmbier in North Korea, a trio of UCLA basketball players were arrested for shoplifting in China while the Bruins were in town playing Georgia Tech. Upon returning back to the States, UCLA head coach Steve Alford and athletic director Dan Guerrero announced an indefinite suspension for LiAngelo Ball (Lavar Ball’s son), Cody Riley, and Jalen Hill.
This suspension will be about as effective as Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., calling for a Senate Ethics Commission on himself. The three players are beyond lucky that they weren’t left behind in a Chinese prison. To be blunt, they’ve lost the privilege (yes privilege, not a right) to wear the uniform. It doesn’t matter who your father is nor does it matter how many triple-doubles you’ve recorded in a season, when you embarrass your school — and in a broader context, your country — it’s time to take a good look in the mirror.
In an ironic twist, while it is unknown who these players supported during the 2016 election, it is very apparent that President Trump hasn’t had a good relationship with the sport of basketball. Stephen Curry refused to go to the White House and the Golden State Warriors had their “invite” rescinded. San Antonio Spurs coach Greg Popovich has denounced Trump numerous times and the University of South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley’s position on attending 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. has soured from spring to fall, possibly from the backlash over the President’s mixed comments after Charlottesville. The three Bruins, on the other hand, had no choice but to thank the president in a statement to the press.
Sports commentary hasn’t been too favorable towards the president this year. However, some prominent “Trump is racist” voices have acknowledged Trump’s success in expediting the Bruins back to the States. Others, like Stephen A. Smith, have agreed that this is a national embarrassment and believe the players deserve a season’s suspension.
The account I rushed to see, however, was none other than ESPN sports journalist Jemele Hill. While there’s still a pinned tweet of how honored she was to have been invited by President Obama for holiday festivities in 2015 and 2016, there wasn’t much in the way of praise for President Trump freeing three young, black men from a nightmare on foreign soil. This was the only evidence
Here’s what happens to you in China when your last name isn’t Ball, a president doesn’t intervene, and you DIDN’T commit the crime you were accused of https://t.co/3nyKEJhrjQ
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) November 17, 2017
Not really. 1) I’m off today 2) reporting facts isn’t stressful https://t.co/lqrQSxKltR
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) November 14, 2017
While it’s impossible to prove that Hill would’ve been laudatory to No. 44 if in the same scenario, based on her tweets tying Trump to white supremacy, it probably doesn’t require much thought. At the end of the day, credit really has to be given to the president for building a bridge with the Chinese and cashing in his chips for a huge payoff, whether or not ESPN types want to agree.
Neil Dwyer is a graduate of the University of Miami, a political and sports broadcaster, and a freelancer writer.
