LiAngelo Ball is back in the U.S.
According to TMZ, the UCLA freshman and his teammates Jalen Hill and Cody Riley arrived at LAX on Tuesday night, a week after they were detained in China for shoplifting.
Larry Scott, commissioner of the Pac-12 Conference, said the student-athletes were permitted to return to the states after the matter was "resolved to the satisfaction of the Chinese authorities."
"We are all very pleased that these young men have been allowed to return home to their families and university," Scott said in a news release. "We are grateful for the role that our Chinese hosts played, and for the courtesy and professionalism of the local authorities. We also want to acknowledge UCLA’s significant efforts on behalf of their student-athletes. Finally, we want to thank the President, the White House and the U.S. State Department for their efforts towards resolution."
Earlier this week, it was reported that Donald Trump had asked Chinese president Xi Jinping to help resolve the situation. The president eventually confirmed this.
"President Xi has been terrific on that subject... But that was not a good subject. That was not something that should have happened," Trump said. "What they did was unfortunate. You know, you’re talking about very long prison sentences. They [Chinese officials] do not play games."
According to TMZ, Chinese authorities have reportedly dropped the charges against Ball, Hill, and Riley; however, UCLA will launch its own investigation to determine how/if the students will be punished.
