LiAngelo Ball among three arrested in China — Reports

SHANGHAI: 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 Wednesday.

Ball, who is with the UCLA basketball team ahead of their season- opening game against Georgia Tech in Shanghai on Saturday, was detained with teammates Cody Riley and Jalen Hill, ESPN reported.

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

ESPN said the players were arrested Tuesday after around 20 police officers descended on their hotel in Hangzhou near Shanghai, where the team had gone to tour the corporate campus of China e- commerce giant Alibaba, a sponsor of the game.

ESPN had reported that police questioned members of both teams in the hotel before taking away the three UCLA players.

The fate of the players on Wednesday, and whether they would face charges, was unclear.

Shoplifting can bring a prison term of several years in China.

A US State Department official told AFP: “We are aware of reports of three US citizens arrested in China and stand ready to assist.”

The official declined further comment , cit ing “privacy considerations”.

UCLA had said Tuesday it was “aware of a situation involving UCLA student- athletes” and was cooperating with local authorities, but otherwise declined comment.

Georgia Tech said none of its athletes were involved.

The Pac-12 conference to which UCLA belongs issued a Twitter statement saying it was “very disappointed by any situation that detracts” from the China visit.

“Whether in the United States or abroad, we expect our student- athletes to uphold the highest standards,” it said. — AFP