LiAngelo Ball had some nice moments for the Charlotte Hornets during Summer League, but he didn't make the training camp roster ahead of the 2021-22 season. Now with the regular season approaching, Ball is signing a contract in the G League and will be in the Oct. 23 draft, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.
The Hornets have a G League team in Greensboro, so they could wind up with Ball. After LiAngelo's Summer League stint, some were hoping he would join his brother LaMelo at Hornets training camp. It wasn't meant to be, though, so now he's going this G League route.
While LaMelo Ball and Lonzo Ball were both top-three picks, LiAngelo has been trying to make it to the NBA the hard way. The 22-year-old was supposed to play his college basketball at UCLA after playing at Chino Hills, but a shoplifting incident in China got him suspended. He then left UCLA and went to play in Lithuania.
LiAngelo wasn't selected in the 2018 NBA Draft and wound up in the Junior Basketball Association, the league founded by LaVar Ball. After undergoing ankle surgery in 2019, LiAngelo signed with the G League's Oklahoma City Blue as a practice player. Ball then signed a deal with the Blue right before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the season down. The youngster signed with the Detroit Pistons for training camp before last season, but he was waived without playing in a preseason game. He then got his chance with the Hornets in Vegas, averaging 9.6 points and hitting a game-winning shot.
Now, LiAngelo Ball is heading back to the G League and will hope to impress there, with the goal of finally making it to the NBA. Perhaps one day we'll actually see LiAngelo and LaMelo suit up on the Hornets together, or even LiAngelo and Lonzo on the Chicago Bulls.
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