LaMelo Ball

At 22 years old, LaMelo Ball has this physical status:

LaMelo LaFrance Ball (born August 22, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Illawarra Hawks of the National Basketball League (NBL).

Bell started high school at Chino Hills High School in California, where he won a state championship and achieved national prominence as a freshman, as well as LiAngelo and Liangelo.

Before his junior season, a coaching controversy led him to leave Chino Hills and join Lithuanian professional team Prienai.

He played in the Junior Basketball Association (JBA), a league established by his father's son, before returning to high school with SPIRE Institute in Ohio as a senior.

As a former UCLA commit, he was a top-five recruit but decided against college basketball due to eligibility concerns and to play in Australia in 2019. Since playing together in high school, Ball and his brothers have drew national attention.

In 2017, his father, LaVar, rose to fame as a television celebrity.

Ball has a signature shoe made by his father's company, Big Baller Brand, and a presence on his family's Facebook Watch reality show Ball in the Family.

Early life

Ball was born in Anaheim, California, to Lavar and Tina Ball, who were both former college basketball players.

As soon as he could walk, Ballard's father, LaVar, was taught in basketball. Lonzo and LiAngelo, his older brothers, got into playing the sport at age four, facing much older opponents. At age five, he also played flag football with his brothers, but he soon concentrated on basketball. Ball started playing with his brothers on Big Ballers VXT in 2013, creating a 17-and-under Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team that was coached by his parents in 2013. The team, which was not sponsored by a major shoe manufacturer, did not qualify for top AAU circuits but instead participated in local competitions.

Personal life

Ball is the youngest son of LaVar and Tina (née Slatinsky) Ball, both former college basketball players. LaVar, a 6-foot-6 (1.98 m) taller, competed with Washington State and then Cal State Los Angeles. Tina, a 6-foot (1.83 m) tall girl, attended the latter academy. After being loaned from the New York Jets, LaVar played professional football as a close end for the London Monarchs of the World League of American Football later today. LaVar made a following in 2017 by making outlandish claims about his and his sons' careers. Andre's cousin played basketball for Pepperdine in college.

Ball has drew national television broadcasters' notice and established a large social media fanbase since his freshman year in high school. Many analysts were calling him a celebrity by 2017. Ball in the Family, which premiered in August 2017 and chronicles his family members' lives, was in the family's Facebook Watch reality show Ball in the Family. Ball appeared on WWE Raw with members of his family on June 26, 2017, during which he told his father, "Beat that nigga ass." The WWE later apologised for his "inappropriate words." Ball is the subject of a rap song titled "Melo Ball 1" that was released by his brother, Lonzo, on September 8, 2017.

Big Baller Brand, a sports clothing business started by Ball's family in 2016, launched the Melo Ball 1 (MB1) on August 31, 2017. He became the youngest celebrity to have a signature shoe.

In 2021, Ball signed with Puma.

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High school career

Ball began playing basketball for Chino Hills High School in Chino Hills, California, during his freshman year. Lonzo and LiAngelo, his two older brothers, and Andre Ball, were teammates. Ball scored 27 points as a starter in his first game. In a victory over Sierra Canyon School for the CIF Southern Section Open Division championship, he scored 26 points on March 5, 2016. Ball helped his team win the CIF Open Division state championship later this month by scoring 14 points against De La Salle High School in the championship game. Chino Hills ended the season with a 35–0 record and won the coveted national championship. Ball averaged 16.4 points and 3.8 assists per game, as well as a MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year award with colleague Onyeka Okongwu.

Ball made national news on December 26, 2016 for a half-court shot two seconds into a game. Despite scoring a game-high 36 points, he suffered his first high school loss on February 4, 2017, halting Chino Hills' 60-game victory streak. Ball won over Los Osos High School by 92 points in his second game in California high school history on February 7, the second-most single-game points in history. Analysts chastised him for cherry picking, because he often waited near half court to get an open shot on his next possession rather than attacking. Ball averaged 26.7 points and almost ten assists per game on the season, earning MaxPreps Sophomore All-American first team distinction. He appeared in an AAU game against five-star recruit Zion Williamson, which was featured in national sports television on July 27, 2007.

Ball left Chino Hills to be homeschooled in 2017 after his father disapproved of newly appointed head coach Dennis Latimore and school administration. He and his brother LiAngelo joined Harrison Gaines in December 7 to travel around the world. The decision stated that he would not play college basketball. Gaines introduced the brothers to professional teams in a number of European countries and Japan in the following days.

Ball, who skipped his junior year and a portion of his senior year to play professionally, joined SPIRE Institute and Academy in Geneva, Ohio, where he spent under head coach Jermaine Jackson. SPIRE played outside the boundaries of the Ohio High School Athletic Association, allowing Ball to play without fear of his amateurism. A number of prominent high school teams have cancelled their match-ups with SPIRE due to Ball's work experience, which may have hampered their chances within their state federations. Because the event promoters did not honor a $10,000 request from a Ball family friend in order for Ball to play, his team was kicked out of the Hoophall Classic tournament. In a 96-84 victory over The Hill School, Ball debuted for SPIRE on November 10, 2018, scoring 20 points, 13 assists, and five rebounds. Ball helped his team reach the final and was named the season MVP. He was ineligible for the 2019 McDonald's All-American Game due to his work experience.

Before starting high school, Ball verbally committed to UCLA, becoming the third of his brothers to enroll in the program. Ball, who was also recruited by Virginia and Washington State at the time, said UCLA was his "dream school." During his sophomore season in high school, he emerged as a top recruit in the 2019 class. He was deemed a five-star recruiter and one of the top point guards in his class by the majority recruiting agencies. After a brief career in 2018, Ball remained a five-star recruit.

Ball's Melo Ball 1 signature shoe, produced by his family's sports apparel business, threatened his eligibility under the National Collegiate Athletic Association in 2017. Ball's father dismissed the allegations and thought that his son would miss college for the same reason. Ball's signing of an agent and his work experience have harmed his NCAA eligibility. Despite concerns regarding his eligibility, which barred major NCAA Division I programs from recruiting him, he expressed an interest in playing college basketball upon his return to high school in November 2018. Ball, however, tried different options, including prep school, the NBA G League, and professional leagues in Australia and China over the next months.

Professional career

Ball and his brother, LiAngelo, signed to Prienai of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) on December 11, 2017. Ball is said to have been the youngest American to sign a professional basketball contract. The brothers' move to Lithuania was heavily covered by American sports journals. Prienai was withdrawn from the Baltic Basketball League on their arrival and played in a number of exhibition games sponsored by Big Baller Brand. Ball made his professional debut against Lietkabelis on January 13, 2018. In a loss to algiris, he scored a season-high 19 points, with four three-pointers and six assists on February 4. He sustained a leg injury in an exhibition game near the end of the month that had sidelined him for a month. Ball and his family left Prienai on April 25, with his father shaming the team's head coach Virginijus e.kus in part because Ball did not get enough playing time. In 12.8 minutes per game, he finished the LKL season with 6.5 points and 2.4 assists, shooting 26.8 percent from the field.

Ball signed with the Los Angeles Ballers of the Junior Basketball Association (JBA), a new league established by his father as an alternative to college basketball, on May 4, 2018, and the league's "marquee player" was touted by the league. In a 134–124 victory over the New York Ballers, he scored a triple-double on June 21, 16 rebounds, 10 assists, and three steals, shooting 15-of-40 from the field. Ball averaged a triple-double, 14.6 rebounds, and 11.5 assists per game in over eight regular season games, although being selected to the All-Star Game. He scored a season-high 55 points, 16 rebounds, and seven assists in the playoff semifinals versus the New York Ballers. He led Los Angeles to a JBA championship over the Seattle Ballers. Ball was selected to the league's select team, JBA USA, which will face multiple European teams on an international tour after the season. He was ejected after slapping an opposing player in the face during a scuffle on October 31 during an exhibition game versus Dzkija on tour. He left the JBA tour on November 5 to return to high school in the United States for his senior year.

Ball signed with the Illawarra Hawks of the Australian-based National Basketball League on June 17, 2019, a two-year deal with NBA outlaws included. He joined the Hawks through the NBL Next Stars program, which aims to produce NBA draft prospects. Ball was named Leader of the New School in August 2019, an award given to the league's best rookie. Jermaine Jackson, his former SPIRE Institute coach, became his boss and assisted him in acclimatization in the NBL season. He had a blast at the NBL Blitz, a pre-season tournament, in late September. In a preseason victory over the Perth Wildcats, he had 19 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists.

Ball scored 12 points, ten rebounds, and five assists on 6-of-17 shooting in his first regular season game on October 6, defeating the Brisbane Bullets. Following Aaron Brooks' death from a season-ending injury, he took a more prominent role. Ball scored 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists on November 25, making him the youngest NBL player to reach triple-double in a overtime victory over the Cairns Taipans. Ball had a triple-double in his next game, with 25 points, 12 rebounds, and ten assists, but he was held to 10-of-28 shooting in a loss to the New Zealand Breakers. He became the fourth player in league history and the first since the NBL switched to 40-minute games in 2009 to produce triple doubles in a row.

It was reported on December 8, before he played another game, that he would miss about four weeks of action after bruising his foot in practice. Ball, although still injured, decided not to participate in the remainder of the season on January 16, 2020. On January 28, he left the Hawks to return to the United States and prepare for the 2020 NBA draft. Ball averaged 17 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game in 12 NBL games, shooting 37.7% from the field. He was named NBL Rookie of the Year over Kouat Noi by five votes (49–44). Ball had been projected as a second round pick or possibly undrafted, establishing himself during his time with the Hawks as the best overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft.

Ball was drafted as the first overall pick in the NBA draft in 2020. Ball was selected third overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2020 NBA draft, which was held on November 18, 2020. He and his brother Lonzo, who was no. 1 on the charts, were nominated No. 1. In the 2017 draft, they were the first group of brothers to be drafted in the top three of the NBA draft. He started the regular season off with an up-and-down preseason. Ball made his debut on December 23, 2020, going scoreless, three assists, and two steals in 16 minutes, defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 121–114.

Ball and Lonzo played in their first regulation game against each other at any level on January 8, 2021. Ball helped the Hornets bounce from an 18-point deficit to a 118-110 victory. With 12 points, ten rebounds, and nine assists, he barely escaped a triple-double. In a 113-105 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on January 9, he became the youngest player in NBA history with a triple-double, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists, a record that would later be broken by Josh Giddey. In a 126-114 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, Ball scored a career-high 27 points, as well as five rebounds, nine assists, and four steals. Ball was awarded Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for his efforts in December and January, totaling 12.2 points, 6.1 assists, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in his first 21 games in the NBA. Ball won by 129–121 over the Miami Heat on February 1, marking his first appearance of his career. He had 14 points, five rebounds, and seven assists in the game. Ball had a career-high 34 points, eight assists, four rebounds, two steals, and one block in a 138-121 loss to the Utah Jazz on February 5, a career-high 34 points, as well as eight assists, four rebounds, two steals, and one block. He became the first franchise player to win a 30-point game. After averaging 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 6.7 assists in 13 games, he was named Rookie of the Month again for February. In a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on March 21, Ball fractured his right wrist and was declared out indefinitely. Ball had been cleared to return to basketball on April 19, according to the official. In a 107-94 victory over the Detroit Pistons, Ball returned from injury, with 11 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists. Ball was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2020-21 and was selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team after the season.

Ball matched his career-high seven three-pointers in the Hornets' 2021-22 season opener, while giving up 31 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists in a 123-122 victory over the Indiana Pacers in a 123–122 victory over the Indiana Pacers. Ball won by 97-87 over the Washington Wizards with 11 points and a career-high 14 assists. Ball, who also had nine assists, five rebounds, and three steals in a 127-125 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on December 1, 1986, recorded his then-high 36 points, as well as nine assists, five rebounds, and three steals. In a 113–107 loss to the Boston Celtics on February 2, 2022, Ball scored a career-high 38 points, as well as nine assists and five rebounds. Ball was voted as an injury substitute for Kevin Durant in his first NBA All-Star Game on February 7, 2013.

Ball changed his jersey number from the number 2 to the number 1 ahead of the NBA season 2022–23.

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