By: Samantha Brimberry

LaVar Ball, photo via AOL — LaVar Ball, photo via *AOL*

In the shadow of the GOPs tax plan, accusations of colluding with Russia, the power vacuum in the pacific asian trade partnership, 5 articles of impeachment presented by the Democratic party, and the North Korean nuclear threat, the media has been anything but reluctant to cover the pressing issue of shop lifting UCLA basketball players.

After three UCLA basketball players were released from China for stealing luxury sunglasses, the President took to making a tweet questioning their appreciation. Trump is a master of marketing. We saw it during the 2016 election, and we see it today through this senseless drama. Getting us distracted is exactly the President's motive; if our attention is directed on sports media it is dulling the negative light surrounding the administration.

However, Trump's antics are right up LaVar Balls' alley. Ball is notorious for using his sons talent to push his Big Baller brand to new heights. Taking the trash talking off of the court, he has slandered NBA legends such as Micheal Jordon, Steph Curry, and LeBron James all to promote himself. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he could catch a bigger fish than Donald Trump.

The Twitter war between Ball and Trump erupted after Lavar Ball failed to properly thank the President Trump during an ESPN interview. When Ball was asked his opinion on Trumps influence in getting the three Bruins players released, ball replied, “Who? What was he (Trump) over there [on the Asian trip] for?" Ball continued. "Don’t tell me nothing. Everybody wants to make it seem like he helped me out”.

In a furry over his beloved social media outlet, Twitter, Donald released this statement:

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

Then about six hours later, Trump tweeted again:

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

This seems to be a Twitter war in which every side is winning, if volume of media attention is the measurement. All are victors except the young boys who have been indefinitely suspended from their UCLA team, and are the casualties of two adults using their stardom to tarnish names in order for theirs to be viewed more pristinely.

The former Bruins boys made the mature decision to publicly thank Trump in a press conference Wednesday, “To President Trump and the United States government, thank you for taking the time to intervene on our behalf. Thank you for helping us out," Riley said. LiAngelo Ball echoed his teammate's statement.