LiAngelo Ball Explains Choosing Music Over G League, Thinks He Could Play in NBA
LiAngelo Ball believes his basketball talent is good enough to play in the NBA, but he preferred the quick cash-in that came from turning out a music single that garnered some positive attention.
Appearing on the BagFuel podcast (h/t TMZ Sports), Ball explained he made the decision to prioritize his rap career when he thought he could make more money doing that than playing professional basketball.
Despite the decision to step away from the NBA (starts at 2:10 mark), Ball said he "could play tomorrow" in the league and would be able to drop 30 in a game if given enough time to develop his skills.
Ball went undrafted in 2018 and signed with the Los Angeles Ballers of the Junior Basketball Association, a league founded by his father that was meant to provide an alternative to college basketball with players being paid for their service.
The league folded after just one season amid a series of controversies that involved missed payments to players and allegations of padding stats to make players look better, including Ball averaging a league-high 49.9 points per game.
Ball got his first stint with an NBA club in the summer of 2019 when he signed with the Oklahoma City Blue as a G League practice player. He didn't appear in a game during the season, then signed a training camp deal with the Detroit Pistons in December 2020.
The Pistons waived Ball a few weeks after his signing before he played in a preseason game. LiAngelo's brother, LaMelo, got him a workout with the Charlotte Hornets during training camp prior to the start of the 20221-22 season.
Ball played in summer league with the Hornets and was selected by their G League affiliate in the 2021 G League draft. He appeared in 31 games over two seasons with the Greensboro Swarm, averaging 4.4 points and 1.1 rebounds per contest.
After a brief stint with Astros de Jalisco in a Mexico professional league, Ball walked away from the sport in February 2024. He released his first single, "Tweaker", in January 2025 to solid fanfare.
The song garnered enough attention that the NBA invited Ball to perform it on All-Star Saturday night at Chase Center. He also signed a contract with Def Jam Records reportedly worth up to $13 million, including $8 million guaranteed.
Ball released his first album, League of My Own, on July 18.
