LiAngelo Ball, the brother of NBA stars Lonzo and LaMelo Ball, recounted the time he and two other UCLA players were arrested in China after being accused of stealing designer sunglasses in 2017.
Ball, 26, went to a Louis Vuitton store next to the team’s hotel in Hangzhou and snagged sunglasses while on a trip as a member of the UCLA men’s basketball team.
Ball reflected on the incident during a recent appearance on “Unapologetically Angel” with Angel Reese.
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Charlotte Hornets guard LiAngelo Ball before a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. (Bill Streicher/USA Today Sports)
“I knew it was wrong. I was 18, wrong spot, wrong time, just making quick decisions doing dumb s—, so I don’t know how to explain. Everybody wants me to come up with this long-a– story. Like, I don’t know how to explain it,” Ball said.
“I did what I did, and I knew that s— was wrong and then that’s that. It’s been seven, eight years. I ain’t been in trouble since.”
Ball said he knew right away he had made a mistake.
“I couldn’t think nothing past like, I knew s— was going to go south. I don’t know, right when I left the store, I’m like, ‘Damn.’ I told (my teammates), ’Like, yeah, we done,” Ball said.
“I knew that s— was f—— wrong, bro.”
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Charlotte Hornets forward LiAngelo Ball during an NBA Summer League game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Cox Pavilion. (Stephen R. Sylvanie/USA Today Sports)
President Trump personally asked Xi Jinping, president of the People’s Republic of China, to help resolve the matter regarding Ball and his two teammates, Cody Riley and Jalen Hill, Fox News reported at the time.
“To the three UCLA basketball players I say: You’re welcome, go out and give a big Thank You to President Xi Jinping of China who made…
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” …your release possible and, HAVE A GREAT LIFE! Be careful, there are many pitfalls on the long and winding road of life!” Trump wrote in separate social media posts in 2017.
After his career at UCLA, Ball was not chosen in the 2018 NBA Draft. Ball played overseas in the Lithuanian Basketball League in 2018 instead of going to the NBA.
He played with the Los Angeles Ballers of the Junior Basketball Association, which was a league founded by his father, Lavar Ball.
Charlotte Hornets forward LiAngelo Ball dribbles during an NBA Summer League game against the Chicago Bulls at Thomas & Mack Center. (Stephen R. Sylvanie/USA Today Sports)
Ball then spent time in the NBA G-League from 2021-2023. Ball signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Detroit Pistons in 2020 but was waived shortly after signing.
The Charlotte Hornets signed him in 2021 and 2022, but he was waived shortly after being signed both times. Ball has not appeared in an NBA regular-season game.
Ball’s brothers, LaMelo and Lonzo, are both in the NBA. LaMelo plays for the Charlotte Hornets and Lonzo plays for the Chicago Bulls.
Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
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