Three UCLA basketball players were arrested for shoplifting in Hangzhou, China, according to a report from ESPN reporter Jeff Goodman. UCLA plays Georgia Tech on Saturday in Shanghai (Friday night EST) in the season opener for both teams.
It follows an AJC report early Tuesday that police in Hangzhou – where Tech and UCLA had been since Saturday and Sunday, respectively – were at the teams' hotel Tuesday morning and were seen inspecting the cargo compartment of UCLA's team bus and acknowledgement from a UCLA spokesman that Bruins athletes were involved in an incident.
The three players are freshmen LiAngelo Ball, Cody Riley and Jalen Hill. Ball is the younger brother of Lonzo Ball, the Los Angeles Lakers’ first-round pick who starred at UCLA last season as a freshman. The school issued a statement early Wednesday (local time) after both teams had arrived in Shanghai.
“We are aware of a situation involving UCLA student-athletes in Hangzhou, China. The University is cooperating fully with local authorities on this matter, and we have no further comment at this time.”
Three Tech players also were questioned Tuesday morning, but were cleared.