UCLA suspends trio following shoplifting incident in China
LOSANGELES— Three UCLA basketball players detained for shoplifting at three high-end stores in China publicly apologized Wednesday before coach Steve Alford announced they were being suspended indefinitely.
Freshmen LiAngelo Ball, Jalen Hill and Cody Riley won’t be allowed to suit up, practice or travel with the team while the university continues to sort out the circumstances of last week’s incident in Hangzhou, China, Alford said during a news conference at Pauley Pavilion.
Ball, Hill and Riley took turns confessing to the theft and apologizing while also thanking President Donald Trump for intervening on their behalf with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. The players had returned to Los Angeles on Tuesday after Chinese authorities withdrew the charges against them.
“I’m sorry for stealing from the stores in China,” said Ball, the younger brother of Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball, who played last season at UCLA.
“I’ve learned my lesson from this big mistake and I’m a hundred percent sure I’ll never make a mistake like this again. It’s going to make me a better person from here on out.”
Alford didn’t specify what the indefinite suspensions mean, saying only that the three players would have to earn their way back onto the team.
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