For the second time in a month the NBL is making headlines in the NBA media. LaMelo Ball, the youngest brother of New Orleans Pelicans point guard Lonzo Ball, has announced he will be signing with the Illawarra Hawks for the 2019-20 NBA season.
Ball is the second big signing for the NBL’s Next Stars program this winter, following RJ Hampton, who has signed with the New Zealand Breakers. Unlike Hampton, who was known mostly among high school basketball tragics, Ball and his family are world renowned, both for his on-court talents and antics, his brother NBA profile and of course his father’s polarising personality and media commentary.
Hampton is himself is a trail blazer, being the first projected lottery pick to forego college, however, LaMelo’s story is completely abnormal. Like Hampton, Ball was projected to play college basketball, verbally agreeing to play at UCLA at the age of 13, following both of his brothers.
However, his father, LaVar Ball, the world’s most notorious helicopter parent, has had significant influence over his young career including several decisions that put his college eligibility at risk.
In 2017, LaMelo’s Junior year of high school (the equivalent of year 11), LaVar withdrew his son from his high school due to a dispute with his coach, opting for homeschooling, where he would personally train him. Later that year, LaMelo signed with an agent, seeking professional overseas contracts, as well as releasing a signature shoe, fundamentally ruling him ineligible for any future high school or college basketball programs.
He and his brother LiAngelo would sign with Prienai of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL), where he would average 6.5 points on 26.8 per cent shooting and 2.4 assists in 12.8 minutes per game.
At the conclusion of the LKL season, Ball would sign with the Los Angeles Ballers of the Junior Basketball Association (JBA), a league created by his father as a professional alternative to college for aspiring athletes aged between 16 and 21 (there are eight teams in this league, all named the Ballers, e.g. New York Ballers, Houston Ballers – remarkable).
Following the season, the JBA sent a ‘team USA’, to which Ball was selected, to Europe and China to compete against professional teams.
Upon returning to the US, Ball would enrol at the SPIRE Academy in Ohio, a high school based within an Olympic training institute designed to prepare athletes for college and elite sport. Ball would resume playing high school basketball due a technicality.
Once back at school, he expressed interest in playing college basketball despite his eligibility concerns, and was a five-star recruit and the 22nd ranked player in the country for his age.
Wildly regarded as an exceptional talent and athlete, Ball has built a reputation for himself as a volume scoring, three-point shooting point guard who also happens to be six-foot-six and an elite athlete. However, he also has a reputation as a poor decision maker and teammate and difficult to coach.
His coach in Lithuania described his experience with LaMelo, “You can’t control that little chipmunk. You say, ‘Don’t shoot 40-footers.’ Next thing you know, he’s shooting 40-footers.”
To top it all off, he comes with his father, the loudmouth viral personality who publicly proclaimed he would have “killed” Michael Jordan in a game of one on one.
In all likelihood, Ball was either not eligible to play college basketball, his eligibility was questionable enough to rule out any major programs as suitors, or no program wanted to deal with the drama that comes along with the Ball family – leaving overseas as the only option.
No matter what happens now, many more eyes will be on Australian basketball than ever before. If the Hampton signing piqued global interest in Australian basketball and the NBL, the LaMelo Ball signing will send it into overdrive.
For better or worse, the Ball family have a profile, are worryingly social media friendly and will be bringing plenty of media attention and interest to the NBL in 2019-20.
John
Roar Pro
I don't entirely disagree, but is the NBL prepared to deal with significantly increased attention and scrutiny. LaVar had no issues publicly challenging and criticising Lakers head coach Luke Walton last year, he will not hesitate to do the same this year. He could say or do some pretty damaging things, so the NBL best be ready. NBL Coaches and Players have never had to be as media savvy as they will now have to be.
John
Roar Pro
I don't entirely disagree, and the NBL better be prepared to deal with significantly increased attention and scrutiny. LaVar had no issues publicly challenging and criticising Lakers head coach Luke Walton last year, he will not hesitate to do the same this year. He could say or do some pretty damaging things, so the NBL best be ready. However if things do go well for Ball, and I do think he is here to develop, he wants to get to the NBA afterall, then I think we can expect a lot of positives for the NBL and Australian Basketball. Extra revenue will help promote the growth of the game and development of home grown players and the Next Stars program should only become more viable if both he and Hampton get drafted.
Rellum
Roar Guru
This looks like it could be a regular thing so I don't think it will lead to just a one off season. Future players might not bring such a silly PR media circus with them but there will still be high profile players that Basket ball types will by into.
Rellum
Roar Guru
Are the Balls ready for the "Bling" and lifestyle of the Steel city. Illawara can be a pretty exciting place. It might be too much of a distraction for him.
rakshop
Roar Rookie
For all the media that this could bring to the NBL, there is very inherent risk in long term damage from being part of the “Ball” franchise/circus. Do you really think that LaMelo will be using this season as a development year??? Very much doubt it. All this is going to be used for is to drum up support for LaVar Ball’s “screw you” to the American collegiate system and the NBA’s “one and done” rule. Nothing more. If LaMelo gets injured or underperforms (which are both a very real possibility), do you think “they” (and it’s a “they” not just “LaMelo") are just going sit there and take it on the chin??? So I hope the NBL is ready to be strapped in brought on the ride of its life. It may work out very well for them. But given the history of this family – I suspect it will end in tears. RJ Hampton is a great pick up. But if I was running the NBL, I would have said ‘thanks but no thanks’ to LaMelo.
josh
Roar Rookie
The Hawks also signed Aaron Brooks.
josh
Roar Rookie
Agree its a good position for the NBL to be in. If he's only sticking around for a year, its basically a win-win. League doesn't spend a great deal on the contract, free marketing (its; well it was when it was announced, all over the US pages). I don't see his dad being too much of a problem (this is a known quantity, they are here for a year, he might push that his son gets more minutes and the opportunity to create a highlight reel for NBA suitors, but the Hawks is probably the team that will offer that opportunity) but if anything will fit perfectly into Australia's mad sports dads.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Its not better or worse for the NBL they dont have anything to protect, colleges in the US their reputation is important. This is a good move in terms of generating publicity. The youngest brother is a better prospect than the middle brother.