LiAngelo Ball and his fellow UCLA freshmen are receiving ample help with regards to their shoplifting case in China. One of the influential persons who came to their aid is none other than the President of the United States, Donald Trump.
In the previous week, LiAngelo Ball made it to the headlines. Ball, along with his teammates Cody Riley and Jalen Hill, was arrested for stealing sunglasses from a Louis Vuitton store in Hangzhou. The UCLA Bruins were in China to begin their season. Due to this incident, the trio did not play in the Bruins' 63-60 victory over Georgia Tech on November 10.
They were also left in the country as the team already headed back to the United States.
The Washington Post, citing an anonymous United States official as a source, revealed that a day following the arrest, U.S. President Donald Trump asked Chinese President Xi Jinping for help with regards to the case involving UCLA rookie LiAngelo Ball. Trump was in China last week for a two-day state visit.
According to the unnamed official, Xi "promised to look into the case." He also assured that LiAngelo Ball and company are going to receive fair treatment. The official added that Chief of Staff John F. Kelly is continuously communicating with the UCLA players' families and the Chinese authorities. The official also revealed that the charges "have been reduced" and a resolution is likely to be achieved soon.
Donald Trump's responsibility
Former NBA star Kenyon Martin believes helping LiAngelo Ball is something U.S. President Donald Trump should do. Martin recently shared his thoughts on this matter to TMZ. The 39-year-old stated that it is Trump's "obligation" and "responsibility" to come to the rescue of Ball. Martin thinks that there should be no penalties for the "dumb" act the UCLA players did.
He is hoping that everything will be okay and that the prospects can bounce back from the mistake.
Optimistic Lonzo Ball
Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball is staying positive with the ordeal LiAngelo Ball is facing. Lonzo, who also played for UCLA before heading to the NBA, is hoping that the issue gets resolved in the next few weeks.
The 20-year-old admitted that he has not spoken to his brother yet.
Similar to Lonzo, many are expecting LiAngelo Ball to end up with the Lakers when his time in UCLA concludes. Unfortunately, as of the moment, it is uncertain if he will even continue to suit up for the Bruins after what happened.
