Donald Trump and LaVar Ball join forced to spring UCLA three from Chinese jail

US President Donald Tump has personally intervened in the alleged burglary case of Lakers star Lonzo Ball’s brother.

U.S. Donald Trump has personally intervened.

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump personally asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to help three UCLA men’s hoopsters — including the younger brother of Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonzo Ball — who were busted for shoplifting while in Hangzhou for a tournament last week, the Washington Post reported Monday.

Trump brought up the arrests during his state visit to Beijing, arriving a day after the three freshmen were accused of stealing designer sunglasses from a Louis Vuitton store.

Guard LiAngelo Ball, brother of the Lakers rookie, and forwards Cody Riley and Jalen Hill did not play in the team’s win over Georgia Tech on Saturday in Shanghai.

Chinese authorities reportedly have surveillance video, and ESPN reported that the trio could be detained for two weeks.

Xi promised to look into the case and ensure that the players are treated fairly, a US official told the paper.

Lonzo Ball was asked about the development in his brother’s case and said he believes LiAngelo will be cleared to return home to the United States in “a week or two”.

“Hopefully [Trump] helps him and everything works out like I said,” Ball told ESPN.

“I have not talked to him yet, but I assume everything is going to go on accordingly over there.”

President Trump reportedly lobbied for LiAngelo Ball w/ Chinese President. Lonzo Ball hopes situation resolved “in week or 2.” pic.twitter.com/jNwhhTiwqZ

— Mark McClune (@MarkMcClune) November 13, 2017

The Washington Post reports Chinese officials have already acted on Trump’s personal intervention.

The Newspaper reports a US official has said “Xi promised to look into the case and ensure that the players are treated fairly and expeditiously”.

The report also claims Trump’s intervention has resulted in the three players’ charges being reduced.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has also confirmed Trump asked Xi to look into the case of the three UCLA players.

The rest of the UCLA team on Sunday returned to the United States, with Ball, Hill and Riley forced to remain behind.

“It has provided a real distraction and unwanted publicity, which distracts from what overall has been a tremendous experience and a tremendous week for the UCLA and Georgia Tech students,” Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said before UCLA’s win.

“We’ve had a chance to apologise for the unwelcome attention it has brought. There’s nothing new. We’re monitoring the situation and staying in close contact with the students, and we hope the situation resolves itself soon.”

The conference said Friday that California and Yale will meet in next year’s Pac-12 China game to open the 2018-19 season.

— with AP