President tweets at Ball, Lynch; Celtics-Warriors Finals?
President Trump posted tweets directed at LaVar Ball on Nov. 19, suggesting he should have left Ball’s son LiAngelo in jail.
Trump mentioned Ball less than 24 hours after LaVar downplayed the president’s role in helping LiAngelo and two other UCLA basketball players return to the USA after an arrest in China for shoplifting. LiAngelo and fellow freshmen Cody Ri
ley and Jalen Hall are suspended indefinitely by the team.
“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,” Trump wrote. “I should have left them in jail!”
Then, nearly six hours later, Trump returned to Twitter.
“Shoplifting is a very big deal in China, as it should be (5-10 years in jail), but not to father LaVar,” Trump wrote. “Should have gotten his son out during my next trip to China instead. China told them why they were released. Very ungrateful!”
Trump also took to a familiar topic on Twitter on Nov. 20: NFL players who don’t stand for the national anthem. Colin Kae
pernick did that last season to protest social injustice.
Trump criticized the Oakland Raiders’ Marshawn Lynch, who, before a game in Mexico City, sat for the U.S. national anthem, as he has all season, but stood for the Mexican one.
“Great disrespect!” Trump tweeted. “Next time NFL should suspend him for remainder of season. Attendance and ratings way down.”
NBA: In case you needed convincing the Boston Celtics are no fluke, last week’s down-tothe-wire win against the Golden State Warriors — the 14th in a row after starting the season 0-2 — should have done the trick. Warriors coach Steve
Kerr already anointed the Celtics “the team of the future” in the Eastern Conference, and
Stephen Curry joked that while the Celtics need to get past the Cleveland Cavaliers to make it to the NBA Finals, he heard the “weather’s great” in Boston in June. The streak is at 16 after they rallied and beat the Dallas Mavericks in overtime.
Also: Forward-center David Lee, who won a title in 2015 with the Warriors but had not landed with a team this season, announced his retirement on In- stagram. He averaged 13.5 points per game in his 12-year career, including 20 points twice. ... Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball picked up his second triple-double in a win against the Denver Nuggets.
NHL: Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Radko Gudas’ transgressions counted against him as he was suspended 10 games for a slash to the back of the neck of Winnipeg Jets forward
Mathieu Perreault. Gudas, whose two previous suspensions included a six-game one for interference 13 months ago, is considered a repeat offender. He forfeits $408,536.60.
Also: Nashville Predators forward Austin Watson was suspended for two games for boarding the Colorado Avalanche’s Dominic Toninato. ... The St. Louis Blues activated defenseman Jay Bouwmees
ter, who broke his foot in camp. ... The Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks will play in the 2019 Winter Classic at Notre Dame.
NFL: Former New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terry Glenn died on Nov. 20 after a car crash. He caught the first touchdown pass thrown by Tom Brady, also played for the Green Bay Packers and had 593 catches for 8,823 yards. ... Pittsburgh Steelers right tackle Marcus Gilbert was suspended for four games for violating the policy on performance-enhancing drugs.