LiAngelo Ball‘s basketball career hasn’t quite panned out like his two other brothers just yet. As the middle sibling to Lonzo and LaMelo, LiAngelo has often flown under the radar and has yet to crack an NBA roster after going undrafted in the 2018 NBA draft. It didn’t help his confidence that his father LaVar Ball once told him he wouldn’t make the NBA.
Six years have gone by since, is it safe to officially shut the door on LaVar Ball’s dream of having all of his three sons make the NBA? Not quite.
As a three-star recruit in high school, LiAngelo was always caught in between the hype of both of his brothers. However, he did still earn a scholarship to play for UCLA in 2017. Unfortunately, just days before the season opener, Ball lost his scholarship after he and two of his teammates were caught stealing Louis Vuitton sunglasses in China. Lavar even thinks that if it wasn’t for that sole incident, LiAngelo would’ve been a lottery pick in the draft.
LiAngelo Ball’s unconventional route to try and make the NBA
Instead of heading to the transfer portal to find a new team, LiAngelo decided to carve his path to the NBA by playing overseas. On Dec. 11, 2017, he and LaMelo signed with Prienai of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL). He averaged 12.6 points on 41.5% from three but never heard his name called in the draft.
From there, Ball played in the Junior Basketball Association (a league that his father started). He’d earn summer league and training camp invites from the Detroit Pistons and the Oklahoma City Thunder’s G-league affiliate, but failed to crack the roster for either team. Ball finally got an opportunity after he was signed by the Greensboro Swarm (Charlotte Hornets g-league team) in 2021. The Hornets signed him to a non-guaranteed deal less than a year later, but was waived before he could play a minute in the regular season.
Where is LiAngelo Ball now?
Even though his time in Charlotte didn’t end in an NBA contract, Ball hasn’t given up on his NBA dream just yet. On Feb. 14, 2024, Ball announced that he signed with the Astros de Jalisco in Mexico, a team that plays in the Pacific Coast Basketball Circuit league. At 25 years old, Ball still has a lot of time to crack an NBA roster. Who knows, his time playing in Mexico might just be the path for Ball to make it happen.
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About the Author
With a proficient background in basketball, NFL, and football, Derick Quinanola uses his knowledge to write blogs for readers that are both entertaining and informative. He has been writing with Clutchpoints for years and has developed an understanding of the type of content fans resonate with.
You can follow him on Twitter @Dderick10
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