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LiAngelo Ball and both of his UCLA basketball teammates just FULLY ADMITTED to stealing in China ... and THANKED President Donald Trump for getting them back to the U.S.

Ball -- along with Cody Riley and Jalen Hill -- spoke to the media for the first time since being arrested in Hangzhou for stealing sunglasses from Louis Vuitton.

As TMZ Sports reported, the guys stole from MULTIPLE STORES -- not just Louis Vuitton -- and LiAngelo Ball acknowledged that in his apology.

"I'm sorry for stealing from the stores in China."

All three men said they were extremely sorry for shoplifting -- didn't dispute the allegations one bit -- and promised they will redeem themselves moving forward.

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Each player thanked Trump by name for the work he did behind the scenes.

Head coach Steve Alford announced all 3 players are suspended indefinitely -- will not practice, suit up or travel with the team until a complete review is done by school officials.

Sounds like there is a chance the guys will still be allowed to play this season -- as Alford did not give a timeline for their return.