Lavar Ball is standing by his son LiAngelo Ball amid his legal woes. LiAngelo Ball is accused of shoplifting from a Louis Vuitton store in China. The crime could land LiAngelo in prison for 10 years.
Lavar told reporters outside the Hyatt Regency in Hangzhou that his son would be fine.
“I’m going to wait until I get some more intel on what’s going on, and then I can tell you what’s up,” he said. “…He’ll be fine. He’ll be fine. Everybody making it a big deal. It ain’t that big of a deal.”
LaVar later released a statement about the allegations against LiAngelo: “It is a very unfortunate situation that the Ball family and UCLA has to deal with at this particular time. We will comment shortly.”
LiAngelo and two other UCLA players – Cody Riley and Jalen Hill – were arrested Tuesday in Hangzhou, China. They were released on Wednesday.
The three players cannot leave China until legal proceedings are completed, according to reports from ESPN. They also have been barred from playing in the Bruins’ season opener against Georgia Tech on Friday at 8:30 p.m. PT in Shanghai.
The three players are accused of stealing sunglasses – priced $435 to $1,990 – from the Louis Vuitton store.
“We are aware of a situation involving UCLA student-athletes in Hangzhou, China,” UCLA said in a statement Tuesday. “The university is cooperating fully with local authorities on this matter, and we have no further comment at this time.”
Pac-13 commissioner Larry Scott also issued a statement on the matter.
“We are very disappointed by any situation that detracts from the positive student-athlete educational and cultural experience that this week is about,” Scott said in a statement Tuesday. “Whether in the United States or abroad, we expect our student-athletes to uphold the highest standards. We will continue to closely monitor the situation.”
