If you ever asked yourself where the Ball brothers are now, you're in for a wickedly delicious treat, as we have Charlotte Hornets talent LaMelo Ball information on lockdown. This is the story of a LaMelo Ball path to the NBA that was full of twists and turns.
Lonzo talked about it. LaVar was harking about it. With hindsight as our witness, with all the Ball brothers getting shine, it appears LaMelo Ball is in the best position to succeed.
Arguably the most talented of the highly-publicized ball Brothers, LaMelo is projected to have the most potential of the trio, which will inevitably lead to “where are the Ball brothers now” posts in a few decades — a way to look back at this rollercoaster of a ride. However, his story so far has turned out to be one unbelievable ride that saw him play abroad twice.
Even after this member of the Ball Brothers shook Adam Silver's hand, let's take a look back to how LaMelo Ball got to where he is today with the Charlotte Hornets.
Chino Hills (Ball Brothers Saga One)
The entire basketball world first saw LaMelo Ball in action during his freshman year at Chino Hills High School.
While still a freshman, he was already making waves with his shooting and passing. His body was trying to catch up to his incredible talent during the time, and it was obvious to everyone watching that he would be a force to be reckoned with one day.
He kept his level of production up in his sophomore season, and he got more scouts to look his way during a scrimmage against New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson. He was bound for greatness until his father uprooted him from his sunny California lifestyle. This was one of the true first signs of Ball brothers drama; though it's too early to tell if it'll have any meaningful impact on any of their careers moving forward.
Prienai and Los Angeles Ballers
Due to his LiAngelo's arrest in China, he lost his UCLA scholarship. The verbal commitment LaMelo also made to the Bruins was null and void as LaVar vowed to never let any of his children attend the school any longer. The Ball patriarch's relationship with Chino Hills also soured, forcing LaMelo Ball to drop out of the school and prematurely start their professional careers.
The trio headed to Lithuania where they played for Lithuania Basketball League team Prienai. While they had an option to leave the team after a month of play, they stuck it out for the remainder of the season. He played good against the top pros of Lithuania, but scouts stopped taking him seriously after that.
After their brief stint abroad, LaVar founded the Junior Basketball League as an alternative for high school students who don't want to play in the collegiate system. He played for the Los Angeles Ballers during the league's only season.
LaMelo Ball at SPIRE Academy
LaMelo Ball chose to return to high school basketball for the remainder of his high school career by enrolling at SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio. It was there that scouts began to take an interest in him once more as he was finally out of his father's shadow. He played impressively enough that scouts began to take notice of how he improved compared to the last time they took a look at him.
The move to SPIRE also helped him personally as it got him away from the meddling ways of his father. It allowed him to showcase his talents to college and NBA scouts as a serious young talent.
Illawarra Hawks (Baller Brothers rebound)
He was deemed ineligible to play for the NCAA due to the Big Baller Brand releasing the Melo Ball 1 signature shoe, so he looked for alternative leagues to play in. He eventually settled in Australia and suited up for the Illawarra Hawks. He's not the only American high schooler to take this path, as RJ Hampton also flew to the Land Down Under.
With the Hawks, he showcased his polished shot, incredible court vision, and creativity to finish against grown men. It's thanks to this quality of play that he found himself a high commodity come the 2020 NBA Draft — and, eventually, selected by the Charlotte Hornets.
LaMelo Ball would have probably preferred to enter the NBA the way his elder brother did, but the twists and turns he experienced along the way make him an intriguing prospect among NBA teams. Since he's one of the best young point guards in the world, there's little to no doubt that he'll make it in the league his brother is already playing at.
Nevertheless, the path each of the Ball Brothers have taken, and/or are in the middle of taking, is one for the ages. When someone asks you in a decade where the Ball Brothers are now, you might be able to answer “not only in the NBA, but on their way to the Hall of Fame.” Then again, that might be a bit hyperbolic.
Charlotte Hornets select LaMelo Ball in the NBA Draft
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgXY7oRH098
The Hornets selected Chino Hills, California native LaMelo Ball with the No. 3 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Ball’s most recent run of play came with the Illarawa Hawks of the Australian National Basketball League, where he earned NBL Rookie of the Year honors. It quickly became evident that he was a force on the court, as he went on to become the youngest player to record a triple-double in the NBL.
In his next outing, a loss to the New Zealand Breakers, he turned in another triple-double performance (25 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists). As a result, he became the fourth player in league history, and the first since the NBL switched to 40-minute games in 2009, to record consecutive triple-doubles.
In his lone season with the Illarawa Hawks, Ball turned in averages of 17.0 points on 37.5 percent shooting from the field (25.0 percent from beyond the arc), 7.6 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.6 steals in 31.3 minutes per outing.
So far, very early in his NBA career with the Charlotte Hornets, LaMelo Ball is turning heads, averaging a humble 6-4-3 box-score in only 17 minutes per game, but flashes of brilliance regularly go down, highlighting his potential as a future NBA superstar.
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