SteemSports Presenter:
SteemSports Editor:
The 3 UCLA men’s college basketball players that were arrested in China last week are back in the United States. They were detained for allegedly shoplifting from 3 high end stores when the UCLA Bruins were in China for a basketball game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. The 3 players, Cody Riley, LiAngelo Ball, and Jalen Hill, were all under house arrest at their hotel in China after the arrest. Under Chinese law, this could have been punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Here is the timeline of events:
11/7/17 – Police search players bags and bus for evidence. Riley, Ball and Hill taken to Police Station.
11/8/17 – All 3 players released on bail and turned in their passports and ordered to remain in hotel.
11/12/17 – President Trump reaches out to President Xi to assist in the release of the players.
11/14/17 – Police withdraw the charges and the players are released to return to the United States.
The UCLA players made their flight home on Tuesday and arrived back on United States soil at LAX. But their troubles were far from over. Head Coach Steve Alford announced that he would hold a press conference on Wednesday with all 3 players. Speculation swirled with thoughts of the trio being expelled from UCLA to simply not even missing another game. But when they got their chances to speak in front of the national media, they each had a very somber tone.
Cody Rile, LiAngelo Ball, and Jalen Hill all read their written apologies. They all had their different words but the message was the same. They were sorry, they were embarrassed and they were regretful from what they put their family, their fans, their teams, the country, and the people of China through. They thanked President Trump and the State Department for helping to facilitate their release. They promised to never act this foolishly again and insisted that their parents raised them better than this. They also insisted that the Chinese Police and Government treated them well and with respect.
UCLA Bruins coach Steve Alford then spoke. He has suspended all three players indefinitely. They are not allowed to travel with the team. They are not allowed to dress for home games. They are not allowed to practice with the team or take part in the film room. Their only responsibilities are to concentrate on their classes and act like the young adults that they should have done in the first place and represent the University of California Los Angeles with pride and dignity. Coach Alford will decide in no specified time if or when they can return to practice and/or wear the UCLA jersey again. A stern punishment but also deserved.
What do you think of this story? Is their punishment appropriate? Do you think that they learned their lesson? Thank you for following
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