The Basketball Ball Brothers
In the 2016-2017 college basketball season, we were introduced to Lonzo Ball and his family, better known as the Ball Brothers. The brothers are Lonzo, Liangelo, and Lamelo. Their father, however, is the most well-known of all: Lavar Ball. Lavar has a reputation of being a loudmouth who often cannot back up what he says. He once said that he would have “dominated” Michael Jordan back in his prime. The eldest brother is Lonzo, who blew up with the UCLA Bruins as a good shooter with a crazy-looking jump shot. Lonzo was then drafted 2nd overall to Los Angeles in the 2017 NBA Draft. Lavar then also said that he would “put all his boys in the league” and would be wearing a shirt that says, “I told you so.” When Lamelo was drafted, he did in fact wear the shirt. Lavar also founded the brand “Big Baller Brand” after the brothers blew up. The business was a success for a while, but it eventually went bankrupt after it was revealed that one of their employees was stealing money from them. Here is a quick profile of each brother:
Lonzo went on to have an average rookie season that ended with injury, but the hype was there. It only increased when Lebron James decided to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2018 offseason. Lonzo went on to have a disappointing season, averaging what would become career lows in assists and points. He was then traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in the Anthony Davis trade. He went on to have another two average seasons with the Pelicans. Lonzo then became a free agent and signed with the Chicago Bulls. Along with Demar Derozan and Zach Lavine, the Bulls have become a top team in the Eastern Conference after being one of the worst teams of the East last year. The Bulls are now one of the favorites to win the Eastern Conference and giving them a good chance at an NBA title. Lonzo has been a solid NBA point guard, with an average of 12 points and 6 assists so far in his career.
The second eldest is Liangelo. He is the least popular brother and the only one currently not on an NBA roster. Liangelo was on a basketball scholarship at UCLA like Lonzo until he was removed. Liangelo was removed due to a conviction of shoplifting while on a team trip to China. Liangelo would also go with his little brother Lamelo to Lithuania to play in their professional basketball league. He was a solid player while in Lithuania and entered his name in the 2018 NBA Draft. Liangelo went undrafted and bounced around in the NBA G-League before falling out altogether. He went to play in his dad’s basketball league, but the league wound up falling out. He then later went on to play in the Summer League with his brother Lamelo on the Charlotte Hornets. He is currently playing for the Greensboro Swarm in the NBA G-League.
Lamelo Ball is the youngest Ball brother, and the best basketball player out of the three brothers. Lamelo is the point guard for the Charlotte Hornets and an All Star. The youngest brother is most known for being a 7th grader on a high school basketball team and dominating. He once dropped 92 points in a high school basketball game. He is one of the greatest players in high school basketball history. He went to Australia to play professionally instead of going to a US college. He was dominating grown men on the basketball court and making it look easy. He was taken by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2020 NBA Draft with the 3rd overall pick. He went on to win Rookie of the Year and was the first player from his draft class to be named an All Star. Lamelo has the brightest future out of the brothers and is likely going to be one of the best players in the league one day.
Why are these guys so important? Because they are truly one of a kind, with all the brothers being professional basketball players. They even have their own reality TV show called “Ball in the Family.” They will go down as one of the most infamous families in sports history.
