LaVar Ball (right) sits next to sons LiAngelo (center) and LaMelo (left). Last Tuesday, LiAngelo was arrested in China along with two UCLA teammates and accused of shoplifting from Louis Vuitton

When asked about his thoughts on President Trump's help in releasing his shoplifting son from jail, LaVar Ball didn't have much to say.

His son, UCLA basketball player, LiAngelo Ball, and the student's fellow teammates, Jalen Hill and Cody Riley, returned to the United States this week after they were detained in China for days following a high-end store heist.

LaVar told ESPN, 'Who?', after the President's name was mentioned for his meeting in handling the matter with Chinese President, Xi Jinping.

The father added: 'What was he over there for? Don't tell me nothing. Everybody wants to make it seem like he helped me out.'

The students were accused of stealing sunglasses from a Louis Vuitton outlet near the hotel the team was staying in. The trio were arrested last Tuesday.

The media personality said he was 'happy with how things were handled' as he dismissed his son's alleged crime and called it 'not a big deal.'

LaVar told the sports station: 'They try to make a big deal out of nothing sometimes. I'm from L.A. I've seen a lot worse things happen than a guy taking some glasses.

'My son has built up enough character that one bad decision doesn't define him. Now, if you can go back and say when he was 12 years old (and) he was shoplifting, stealing cars and going wild, then that's a different thing.'

Prior to his dismissal of Trump's role in the student's release, the President took to Twitter to address the matter.

He took credit by saying: 'Do you think the three UCLA Basketball Players will say thank you President Trump?' he tweeted. 'They were headed for 10 years in jail!'

President Donald Trump (L) sits beside China's President Xi Jinping during a tour of the Forbidden City in Beijing on November 8, 2017. Trump spoke with Jinping in a meeting which helped three UCLA players get released from 'Chinese jail' for shoplifting

(From left) UCLA freshman LiAngelo Ball, Cody Riley, Jalen Hill and Kris Wilkes pose for a picture before flying to China for the opener against Georgia Tech in Shanghai. Ball, Riley, and Hill however were arrested and accused of shoplifting in Hangzhou

However, the three players thanked him for intervening during a press conference.

The Bruins were preparing to open the season against Georgia Tech in Shanghai at the time the three players were reportedly interrogated and arrested.

All three could have faced between three and 10 years in prison, Chinese lawyers also confirmed to Yahoo Sports.

'I would say they could be in quite a bit of trouble if they have solid proof that they shoplifted,' William Nee, a Hong Kong-based researcher of the Chinese court system for Amnesty International, told the website at the time.

SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO

(From left) UCLA Bruins freshman LiAngelo Ball, Cody Riley, and Jalen Hill landed back in Los Angeles after they were detaining in China for shoplifting

LaVar Ball (middle, back), LaMelo Ball (left) and LiAngelo Ball (right) pose for a portrait with Lonzo Ball (seated), who was drafted second overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in June

According to ESPN, around 20 police officers arrived at the Hyatt Hangzhou at around 8 a.m. last Tuesday and spoke with players from both UCLA and Georgia Tech about an incident at the nearby Louis Vuitton store.

The players were allegedly kept in a room for hours without being allowed to speak with coaches.

'They weren't messing around,' one source told ESPN. 'The kids were scared.'

Georgia Tech released its own statement: 'During the questioning, it was determined that Georgia Tech student-athletes were not involved in the activities being investigated.

'They have resumed their scheduled activities in advance of Saturday's season opener versus UCLA in Shanghai.'

UCLA coach Steve Alford declined to talk about the incident outside of announcing his intention to sit all three players.

'The University came out with a statement, so I won't have any further comment on this other than in answering that question - those individuals won't play on Saturday,' Alford told reporters last Wednesday in Shanghai.

The Hyatt Hangzhou, where UCLA and Georgia Tech players reportedly stayed ahead of Friday's season opener. According to ESPN the three Bruins players were arrested at the hotel and questioned about the robbery at a nearby Louis Vuitton

LiAngelo Ball (left) and Jalen Hill spending their first day in China last Monday. The UCLA freshmen were expected to dress for the opener against Georgia Tech in Shanghai, but coach Steve Alford announced at the time neither they nor Cody Riley would play

UCLA practiced in China last Monday ahead of the Friday season opener against Georgia Tech

UCLA freshman teammates Cody Riley (left) and Jalen Hill (right) are two of three Bruins teammates who were arrested for allegedly shoplifting

Hangzhou-based tech giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd , which sponsors the annual Pac-12 basketball games in China, declined to comment, as did the Hangzhou police.

Considered the lowest-rated recruit of UCLA's freshman class, LiAngelo was given three out of five stars on ESPN's college basketball recruiting page, which criticized his lack of lateral quickness and overall defense.

The scouting report did credit LiAngelo with being a good shooter with an improving post game.

Laker rookie Lonzo's season has been up and down so far. He's averaging just 8.8 points a game, although he does rank second among all rookies with 6.9 assists a game.

UCLA coach Steve Alford vowed to sit Ball, Hill and Riley for last Friday's game

While Lonzo currently plays for the 5-5 Lakers, younger brother LaMelo was taken out of Chino Hills High School so he can be made into 'the best basketball player ever,' according to father LaVar.

LaVar told The Los Angeles Times in early October that LaMelo, a junior, would leave Chino Hills High School so he would have fewer distractions and better focus.

LaMelo plays on LaVar's traveling team, Big Baller Brand, which LaVar also coaches.

Last season, LaMelo drew national attention by scoring 92 points in a game for Chino Hills.

LaVar's Big Baller Brand also makes shoes, ranging in price from $220 to one pair that costs $995.

Lonzo currently has his own signature shoe while LaMelo's is on its way - the MB1, which costs $395, is available for pre-order and will ship in December.

According to Markazi, the Big Baller Brand opened two pop-up shops in China recently - one in Shanghai and another in Hong Kong.

There is a concern that LaMelo's shoe deal could affect his eligibility at UCLA.

Like older brother Lonzo and younger brother LaMelo, LiAngelo was a star at Chino Hills High