LiAngelo Ball and his UCLA teammates have thanked Donald Trump for being allowed to return home from China after being detained for shoplifting.
LiAngelo Ball, Cody Riley and Jalen Hill allegedly shoplifted from a Louis Vuitton store near the UCLA team hotel outside of Shanghai. The trio faced 3-10 years in a Chinese prison.
According to Bleach Report, Ball, Riley and Hill spoke with the media on Wednesday after returning home from China.
“I’m a young man; however, it’s not an excuse for making a really stupid decision,” Ball said.
On Twitter, President Trump asked whether the young basketball stars will thank him for returning home.
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
ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura confirmed that all three thanked the President and the US government for their help in diffusing the situation.
All three players did. https://t.co/2x3tGI7anF
— Kyle Bonagura (@BonaguraESPN) November 15, 2017
All three ball players will be suspended indefinitely.
Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball has reportedly not yet seen his brother returned to the US but has said, “Nice to have him back. Obviously he made a mistake, but just gotta learn from it and move on.”
Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said in a statement that “the matter has been resolved to the satisfaction of the Chinese authorities.”
