Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Slams LiAngelo Ball For Shoplifting Arrest In China

The three UCLA Bruins players, LiAngelo Ball, Jalen Hill and Cody Riley, who were suspended indefinitely from the team after being arrested this month on shoplifting charges in China are now facing criticism from UCLA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

During an interview last week with Colin Cowherd on Fox Sports 1, Abdul-Jabbar claimed that the incident had sullied the school’s name. UCLA is celebrated as one of the top basketball programs in the nation. Abdul-Jabbar played with the Bruins from 1966-69 and in those three years helped lead the school to a record of 88 wins and just two losses.

"It stained part of my legacy. I was offended by it," Abdul-Jabbar said on "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" on Wednesday. "I didn’t like seeing the program associated with shoplifting."

The six-time NBA champion berated LiAngelo Ball, one of the Bruins players detained then released on shoplifting charges from an incident at a Louis Vuitton store while the team had been visiting China.

"I’d like to see some character," he said. "One of the Ball kids has been driving a Ferrari to UCLA. This is disgusting. It sets a bad precedent for what the school is supposed to be about."

Cowherd doubled down on Abdul-Jabbar’s issues with the players. The host chimed in and explained that if it were up to him, the players would not have been granted another chance.

"To me, it was four stores, multiple theft, international incident, hurting the name, the brand of UCLA," Cowherd said. "I would not give them a second chance."

After LiAngelo Ball and his two teammates arrived in Los Angeles from China this month, President Donald Trump took to Twitter and criticized LaVar Ball, who downplayed Trump’s involvement in the release of his son and his two teammates. LiAngelo Ball is the younger brother of Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball and the son of highly publicized basketball dad LaVar Ball.