UCLA basketball players LiAngelo Ball, Cody Riley and Jalen Hill spoke with the media Wednesday for the first time since they returned home from China after being detained on suspicion of shoplifting.
Per ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura, all three players thanked President Donald Trump and the United States government for helping to handle the situation.
Earlier in the day, Trump sent out a tweet asking if Ball, Riley and Hill would thank him for his efforts with the Chinese government and authorities:
Do you think the three UCLA Basketball Players will say thank you President Trump? They were headed for 10 years in jail!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 15, 2017
Per ESPN’s Jeff Borzello, UCLA head coach Steve Alford announced the three freshmen have been suspended indefinitely and won’t travel with the team.
“I’m a young man, however, it’s not an excuse for making a really stupid decision,” Ball said (via Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the Southern California News Group).