Three UCLA basketball players detained in China on November 7 for shoplifting have now been released, the BBC reports.
Cody Riley, LiAngelo Ball and Jalen Hill were reportedly caught shoplifting at a Louis Vuitton store in Shanghai while visiting for a game against Georgia Tech. According to Reuters, the students were released on $2,200 bail.
UCLA Chancellor Gene Block expressed his relief via an official statement on UCLA's website.
"Our primary focus has been on bringing our students back safely," Block said. "I want to be clear that we take seriously any violations of the law," he added, and said the incident was being reviewed by the university.
Pac-12 League Commission Larry Scott also released a statement noting that "matter [had] been resolved to the satisfaction of the Chinese authorities."
Apparently, President Trump came forth with the alley oop in getting the players released from custody. Trump reportedly raised the issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his Asia tour.
In true Trump fashion, he took to Twitter to congratulate himself and prompted the players to thank him for his efforts:
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
The three players did, in fact, thank Trump for his assist, while also apologizing for their actions.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the team's coach, Steve Alford, has indefinitely suspended the three players while the university further investigates the incident.
“These are good young men who have exercised an inexcusable lapse of judgment,” said Alford at a recent news conference. “I am extremely disappointed in their actions.”
"I'm sorry for stealing from the stores in China," said Ball, who happens to be the younger brother of the Los Angeles Lakers' Lonzo Ball and son of former athlete LaVar Ball.
"I've learned my lesson from this big mistake, and I'm a hundred percent sure I'll never make a mistake like this again. It's going to make a better person from here on out," he continued.
“I take full responsibility for the mistakes I have made, shoplifting,” said Riley. “I know that this goes beyond me letting my school down. I let the entire country down.”