According to a report today from Franklyn Calle of SLAM, it was announced by Big Baller Brand founder LaVar Ball that his youngest son, guard LaMelo Ball would officially be joining the newly founded Junior Basketball Association and will play for its Los Angeles-based team this upcoming summer.
LaMelo, who is still only 16 years old, recently had a stint with his older brother LiAngelo overseas in Europe as members of Vytautas Prienai–Birštonas of the Lithuanian Basketball League. LaVar thinks that this will be a huge opportunity for LaMelo, who will make his JBA debut on June 21.
“Melo got the opportunity to play against international competition and experienced the game from a different perspective while in Lithuania,” LaVar said. “Now he’s able to come back to the States and remind people why he was the most talked about high school player in the world before he left. It’s time to take it to another level now.”
There will be eight American host cities for the JBA teams: Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Seattle and Los Angeles.
The JBA, which is considered an alternative to the NCAA for young basketball players, is very excited for the debut of this seemingly first-of-a-kind league.
“As a family, we’ve never been afraid to find new challenges and do things that others may be too afraid to do, and this move is no different,” LaVar said. “Hundreds of people have come out to the tryouts and have showed that they want to be a part of something that is different and that will go down in the history books.”
It will be quite interesting to see how LaMelo develops over the next couple years or so, as the talented 6-foot-6 guard is still a very raw prospect.
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