Once thought to be a sure thing, the odds of all three brothers from the internet-famous Ball family making it to the NBA were slim in years prior. The eldest brother, Lonzo, was drafted 2nd overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2017 NBA Draft and was eventually traded to the New Orleans Pelicans as a part of the Anthony Davis deal. The baby of the family, LaMelo Ball, was just drafted third overall in this year’s draft by the Charlotte Hornets. But it was middle brother LiAngelo, better known as “Gelo,” who was the most questionable.
In high school, the Ball brothers became internet sensations as they dominated the country, all playing together despite their age differences. They played for Chino Hills High School in California and were once recognized as the best team in the country. They were all heavily scouted by NCAA division schools, and after Lonzo chose UCLA it seemed as though his younger brothers would follow suit. But, as we all know, that’s not exactly how things went down.
LiAngelo committed to UCLA and got there his freshman year with intentions of playing great basketball, but he didn’t play a single regular season game for the Bruins. Unfortunately for Gelo, he made some poor decisions and got arrested for shoplifting while on an overseas trip to China with UCLA. What he maybe thought was a harmless pair of sunglasses turned out to be a huge obstacle for his basketball career. His father, LaVar Ball, decided it was time to pull him from UCLA and explore other options.
The other option they explored? Lithuania. After his stint at UCLA, Gelo went overseas with his younger brother LaMelo and played for the Vytautas Prienu. Unfortunately, after one decent season overseas, Gelo declared for the 2018 NBA Draft and didn’t hear his name called. Since then, he has been diligently working on his craft. He signed a deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder’s G League team in early 2019 but was unable to play due to the pandemic. Now he got his shot—LiAngleo signed a 10-day contract with the Detroit Pistons.
As for the other two brothers, we know that they are more than capable, but they just need to find their stride. Lonzo has had a lackluster career so far, but expect the youngest, LaMelo, to shine bright in Charlotte.
