LiAngelo Ball may have avoided a trip to prison after all.
The UCLA guard, along with Bruins teammates Cody Riley and Jalen Hill, was released on bail Wednesday morning in Hangzou, China, at around 4 a.m. local time, ESPN’s Arash Markazi reported, citing a source.
Ball, Riley and Hill were arrested for allegedly shoplifting Tuesday at a Louis Vuitton store near UCLA’s team hotel in Hangzhou and spent “several hours” at the Hangzhou police station before being released, per Markazi.
“The players were treated with the utmost respect, kindness and professionalism at all times by the Hangzhou police,” the source told Markazi. “The players questioned were respectful at all times. None of this was confrontational.”
The trio was allowed to return to the luxury hotel where it was staying, but the group isn’t in the clear yet. Ball and Co. must remain at the hotel until the conclusion of the legal process, which could take days, weeks or even months, according to Markazi.
UCLA is scheduled to play Georgia Tech on Friday in the 2017 Pac-12 China Game.
Of course, a news story involving a Ball son isn’t complete without the father weighing in. Markazi tracked down LaVar Ball, who is on a “sightseeing tour” with his family in Shanghai, to get his reaction to LiAngelo’s arrest. LaVar — while pushing his wife, Tina, in a wheelchair — didn’t seem too concerned.
LaVar apparently planned to address the media from his hotel suite Wednesday morning, but his lawyers advised him not to comment while the legal process is ongoing.
Thumbnail photo via Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports Images
