‘I should have left UCLA players in jail’

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Sunday upbraided the father of one of the three UCLA basketball players who had been detained in China on suspicion of shoplifting, tweeting he “should have left them in jail”.

Trump’s comments on Twitter came the day after LaVar Ball, the father of LiAngelo Ball, downplayed Trump’s involvement in the three athletes’ release.

“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!” the president tweeted.

Hours after the first tweet, Trump posted again, saying Chinese officials told the students why they had been released.

“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!” Trump wrote.

The three players from the University of California, Los Angeles, apologised last week and thanked Trump for helping secure their release by raising the issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit.

All three players have been suspended indefinitely from the UCLA basketball team.

But LaVar told the ESPN TV network on Saturday: “Don’t tell me nothing. Everybody wants to make it seem like he helped me out”, referring to Trump.

The White House declined to comment on Sunday on the president’s tweet.

Attempts to reach LaVar for comment were unsuccessful.

LaVar has stirred controversy with comments promoting the careers of his three basketball-playing sons, including Los Angeles Lakers rookie and former UCLA star Lonzo Ball. – Reuters