Earlier this month, three UCLA basketball players were detained in China , where the college team was scheduled to play an exhibition game, on shoplifting charges. Players LiAngelo Ball, Cody Riley, and Jalen Hill admitted to stealing merchandise from several stores in Hangzhou, China, including Louis Vuitton. In the days that followed, the players were held in their hotel room. 

President Trump arrived in China as part of a 12-day Asia trip and was informed of the situation by his staffers, who had heard about it on CNN. According to Trump, he asked Chinese President Xi Jinping if he knew about the “knuckleheads” being held in Hangzhou. Xi dispatched an aide for more information. Soon after, the players, charged with misdemeanors, were released and flown back to California. 

The players, all freshmen, were suspended indefinitely from their team while the university reviewed the thefts from three upscale stores during a visit in which the Bruins defeated Georgia Tech in Shanghai. Although charges in China have been dropped, any discipline the players face will be determined by UCLA. Coach Alford reported that the school’s office of conduct was assessing the incident to determine the length of the players’ suspensions. They will not be allowed to travel with the team during their suspensions but may be permitted to participate in team workouts, practices, and meetings. Even though the players are expected to come off the bench, the absence of the trio will severely deplete the ability to apply defensive pressure on the court. 

With this scandal, critics brought up the summer of 2010: three of UCLA’s incoming freshman football players were charged with felony theft after being caught stealing a backpack containing items worth $1,200. Then-coach Rick Neuheisel suspended them for the season, and the players were not allowed to continue summer school or enroll for the fall. All three decided to transfer a few days later. “This is about more than just UCLA now, this is the university’s integrity, this is our country’s integrity, all of that is at stake if the appropriate penalty is not given,’’ Neuheisel said.

Earlier, President Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One upon his return from the Asia trip that Chinese President Xi Jinping had helped arrange the players’ release. “That was not something that should have happened,” Trump scolded. He later tweeted, “Do you think the three UCLA Basketball Players will say thank you, President Trump? They were headed for 10 years in jail!” In response, each of the players read their statements, thanking the president for his efforts; Ball also expressed his regret, reflecting “I’ve learned my lesson from this big mistake and I’m 110% sure that I’m not making a bad decision like this one again.” 

With all the pressure on the outcome of the discipline on the players, UCLA is hard-pressed by critics on both sides of the Pacific.