The often forgotten middle son of Lavar Ball has found a way to make headlines, but not in typical Big Baller fashion. LiAngelo Ball along with UCLA teammates Cody Riley and Jalen Hill were arrested in Hangzhou, China for reportedly shoplifting. The information around the arrest is unclear at this time, but UCLA issued a report to TMZ Sports saying they were aware of the incident and were cooperating with Chinese officials.
The team was in China for a game against Georgia Tech and the incident happened while players were out and about in Hangzhou. It is unclear what this will mean moving forward for UCLA, LiAngelo Ball, or the Big Baller Brand. LiAngelo is often overshadowed by his older bro Lonzo who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers as well as his younger brother LaMelo who is a five-star recruit and is committed to play for UCLA as well. While he may have wanted more attention for himself, this probably isn’t what the middle son had in mind.
A report showed that police entered the hotel the teams were staying at and investigated all of the players from both teams before taking the three UCLA players away. Head Coach Steve Alford and outspoken father Lavar Ball have not commented as of yet. Lavar Ball had said he was going to China for the game but it is uncertain if he is there currently. There is a big baller in trouble, but it may have only just begun for LiAngelo Ball.
Update:
The three players have been released on bail. The three players including LiAngelo Ball are suspected of shoplifting for a Louis Vuitton store near the hotel that the team was staying at prior to their game against the Yellow Jackets. Chinese law and the legal system overall is very different than America, so these young men could face some serious punishments.
The three players from UCLA could face three to ten years in prison if they are found guilty and in a system that has no clear guarantees, they could be waiting for a while before they even learn their fate. It is likely that unless directed from higher up Chinese officials this could drag out for quite a while.
