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UCLA Basketball: ESPN details what really happened in China

By Mike Regalado

LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 15: Head Coach Steve Alford of UCLA Men's Baskeball speaks to the media during a press conference at Pauley Pavilion on November 15, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. Team members LiAngelo Ball, Cody Riley and Jalen Hill have been suspended from the team after allegedly shoplifting while on a school trip to China. (Photo by Josh Lefkowitz/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 15: Head Coach Steve Alford of UCLA Men's Baskeball speaks to the media during a press conference at Pauley Pavilion on November 15, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. Team members LiAngelo Ball, Cody Riley and Jalen Hill have been suspended from the team after allegedly shoplifting while on a school trip to China. (Photo by Josh Lefkowitz/Getty Images) /
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ESPN’s Arash Markazi details the specific events surrounding the three UCLA basketball players that were caught shoplifting and created an international incident in China last November . Here is a brief overview of what happened…

The UCLA basketball team was suppose to begin their 2017-18 season with bang in China. Instead, it created an international incident that got the likes of President Donald Trump involved (though not as much as he claimed).

Today, the specific accounts have been revealed. ESPN’s Arash Markazi, who was with the Bruins during their trip to China, was the only American journalist reporting on the shoplifting incident at the time, though he only had a fraction of the details.

Today, he released Inside the international incident that rocked UCLA’s season, an expose on what actually happened with LiAngelo Ball, Cody Riley and Jalen Hill in those 10 days in November. Though I fully recommend reading the article for the specifics of what happened, here are several key details that took place between Sunday, November 5 and Wednesday, November 15:

Sun, Nov 5

  • The UCLA basketball team arrives in Shanghai
  • After landing, they board a bus for a 3-hour, 110-mile ride to Hangzhou

Mon, Nov 6

  • Members of UCLA and the Pac-12 meet with Joseph Tsai, founder of Alibaba who had extended a partnership with the Pac-12 China Game through 2020
  • Tsai held a shoot around for both UCLA and Georgia Tech
  • After 5 p.m., players were given 90 minutes to check out the local area
  • Ball, Riley and Hill entered Louis Vuitton where Ball had his credit card declined when trying to purchase $730 sunglasses
  • All three left the store, then returned a short time later and each took a pair of sunglasses
  • They followed that up by taking $15 sunglasses at a more “affordable” store and stole $6 bracelets from an adjacent H&M (3 stores were shoplifted in 90 minutes)

Tue, Nov 7

  • 7:15 a.m. police arrive at UCLA’s hotel after the Louis Vuitton store reported the shoplifting (video showed the three taking the sunglasses)
  • Ball, Riley and Hill were taken to separate rooms and questioned, ultimately admitting to the crimes after it was known that there was surveillance footage
  • Riley had hid the sunglasses in Steve Alford’s room, in between the cushions of a couch
  • That afternoon, all three were handcuffed and taken to a local police station
  • On a flight to Shanghai, UCLA AD Dan Guerrero was notified about the incident and told LaVar Ball and family who was on the flight with him
  • The realty show “Ball in the Family” made it seem as if they were notified of the event after they landed and checked into their hotel
  • That night, all three players were returned to Louis Vuitton to give back the stolen items
  • Many thought this was just one store and it was assumed the players would be able to rejoin the team the next day, but two other stores reported the shoplifting, making the situation worse
  • Around midnight, it was announced that the three could leave on bail of about $2,200, but had their passports taken and needed to stay in Hangzhou
  • UCLA required the players to stay in their hotel until the situation was over

Wed, Nov 8

  • A UCLA official had stated that they did not expect the situation to last long, but needed to stay in Hangzhou, possibly for a week
  • Alford, who was with the three in Hangzhou, left to rejoin the team in Shanghai

Thur, Nov 9

  • LaVar Ball and LaMelo Ball finally visited LiAngelo, two days after finding out about the incident
  • They stayed for two hours and then returned to Shanghai for the Big Brand Brand pop-up on Friday
  • The three UCLA players were asked to return to the police station on Friday

Fri, Nov 10

  • The three had their passports returned and charges were dropped
  • Part of a “secret handshake” required the three to stay in China until Tuesday, Nov 14
  • Their original flights back home were changed from Saturday to Tuesday
  • Guerrero met with the players, along with Doug Erickson, UCLA’s director of basketball operations

Sat, Nov 11

  • Tina Ball visits LiAngelo before the UCLA-Georgia Tech China Game
  • LaVar and LaMelo attend the game and sign autographs despite the “UCLA officials instructing them to keep a low profile”
  • UCLA beat Georgia Tech, 63-60
  • The UCLA basketball team departs for Los Angeles without Ball, Riley and Hill

Sun, Nov 12

More from Go Joe Bruin

  • President Donald Trump said he first heard about the incident, despite being informed by members of his staff on Thursday
  • UCLA was not aware of Trump’s involvement until Sunday
  • White House Chief of Staff John Kelly called UCLA to inform them Trump will be helping, despite the fact that “the situation was already resolved”
  • Kelly stated that Trump’s efforts “led to reduction of charges to the equivalent of misdemeanors as well as the release of the three players to their hotel where they were placed under temporary house arrest”
  • A UCLA official commented, “The players were already checked into the hotel before the public discovered they were arrested. They also were not under house arrest. It was our decision to keep them at the hotel until the situation was resolved.”

Mon, Nov 13

  • While in China, the three players remained at the hotel, doing homework and working out in the hotel gym

Tue, Nov 14

  • Ball, Riley and Hill leave China for Los Angeles

Wed, Nov 15

  • Alford, Guerrero, Ball, Riley and Hill address the media, all three players are suspend for further review
  • UCLA was not exactly sure what Trump helped with, but thanked the president because “it seemed like the right thing to do”

Ball eventually left UCLA. Riley and Hill were suspended for the season just before Christmas.