The Rise & Fall of the Ball Family

LiAngelo Ball and his younger brother LaMelo Ball are looking into playing overseas and skipping the college route altogether. LaVar Ball made headlines Monday by pulling LiAngelo out of UCLA, where LiAngelo was suspended indefinitely after he was arrested for shoplifting on the team’s trip to China.

(Xavier Allen) — LaMelo currently ranked as the No. 4 point guard and No. 15 overall player in the 2019 247Sports Composite, LaMelo fits more into Lonzo Ball’s box than LiAngelo’s. His primary obstacle at this point is his age – at age 16, he’s still three seasons away from a shot at the NBA, a long time for a young American to play overseas only with intentions to return 2 years later.

LaMelo was already being homeschooled after LaVar elected to remove him from the same Chino Hills High School that graduated oldest brother Lonzo and, last year, LiAngelo. Unlike Lonzo, who was a five-star player in the 247Sports and all over NBA radars, LiAngelo was considered a more middling player, signing with UCLA despite ranking as the No. 226 player in his class ( far below LonZo & LaMelo’s rank).

That, combined with LiAngelo not playing any games before leaving UCLA, led multiple ESPN analyst that LiAngelo had “no chance” of going in the 2018 NBA Draft. Despite what ESPN analyst wrote LaVar Balls comments that he will train LiAngelo and have him ready for next years draft say otherwise.

I guess we will have to wait and see.