Ball among three players arrested

Shanghai, Nov. 8: LiAngelo Ball, the younger brother of Los Angeles Lakers star Lonzo Ball, was among three college basketball players arrested in China on suspicion of shoplifting, US media reports said on Wednesday.

Ball, who is with the UCLA basketball team ahead of their seasonopening game against Georgia Tech in Shanghai on Saturday, was detained on suspicion of shoplifting from a Louis Vuitton store with teammates Cody Riley and Jalen Hill, ESPN reported.

The channel said the players were arrested Tuesday after around 20 police officers descended on their hotel in Hangzhou near Shanghai, where the team had visited the headquarters of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, a sponsor of the game.

ESPN later quoted an unnamed source saying the trio were released early Wednesday on bail.

A Hangzhou government spokesperson confirmed that three American citizens had been arrested on suspicion of shoplifting but referred further questions to police, who could not be reached Wednesday.

ESPN said police questioned members of both teams in the hotel and later took away the three UCLA players.

It remained unclear whether they would face charges. Shoplifting can bring a prison term of several years in China.

ESPN quoted its source as saying the three would have to stay in Hangzhou until legal proceedings were completed. The rest of the team has already returned to Shanghai.

A US State Department official said the department was aware of the reported arrest and stood “ready to assist” but declined further comment.

LiAngelo Ball is one of three basketball-playing siblings who have emerged on the national stage in the US in recent years, fuelled in part by father LaVar’s aggressive promotion of his sons as future NBA superstars. The shoplifting reports threaten to tarnish that campaign, which has included LaVar Ball’s creation.