LiAngelo Ball’s arrest in China has gotten the attention of a lot of members of the basketball community, including current and former NBA players. One such former pro is Devean George, who played in the NBA for 11 seasons, seven of those with the Los Angeles Lakers, who gave his reaction to Ball’s situation.
The 40-year-old George made it known, via TMZ Sports, that it’s something that should be taken seriously, and that he is scared for him, having committed something illegal in a foreign country. He also added that it could cause a distraction for his older brother, Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball, in his coming games.
“I'm scared for him. You gotta be real careful when you're doing stuff overseas.”
LiAngelo Ball was busted, along with two of his UCLA teammates, for allegedly shoplifting in Hangzhou approximately at 8 a.m. local time on Tuesday. They were interrogated and not allowed to be in contact with any of their coaching staff for hours, until they were finally released. Ball and his team are currently in the Asian country to play a preseason game against Georgia Tech scheduled on Friday.
George was the 23rd overall pick back in the 1999 draft by the Lakers, and won three championships in his first three seasons in the league. He was part of the three-peat winning squad led by Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, and increased his role consistently during that span. He last played in the NBA in 2010 for the Golden State Warriors, before announcing his retirement the year after.