Big Baller Brand co-founder LaVar Ball recently answered questions about the playing status of his son, LaMelo Ball, with respect to the remainder of his season with the Illawarra Hawks of the National Basketball League in New Zealand.
LaMelo suffered a foot injury a few weeks ago, and his father told the Daily Telegraph‘s “The Big Chat” that the potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft likely will not play until he is fully healthy (via Jacob Rude of USA TODAY Sports):
“Where we stand on that is it’s (dependent) on how the injury heals. You have to make speculation for the media. It keeps the buzz going…My thing is this, I said ‘Melo, if you 80%, don’t come back. If you’re 100%, whether there’s one game, five games or no games left, that’s when you come back. But don’t rush in and have people trying to push you to come back ahead of time.'”
But while LaVar is consulting LaMelo Ball on his health, he also stated that his son would indeed finish out the season if he felt he was back to 100 percent:
“Yes. Yes. You like to finish what you start. Go ahead and finish that…You don’t want to be (thinking) like ‘Oh, I might get hurt. I don’t want to do this.’ If you’re thinking like that, don’t play. This is a physical sport. It comes with the territory.”
LaMelo has dazzled international fans and NBA scouts alike with his play in the NBL. A recent growth spurt certainly has not hurt his prospects, as Ball has retained his playmaking while adding size.
Lonzo's little brother is a practical lock for the lottery this summer, and he might even be the top pick if he manages to stay healthy.
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