LaMelo Ball Will Play for JBA League's LA Team This Summer
LaMelo Ball is set to play for the Los Angeles team in the newly formed Junior Basketball Association, which was founded by his father LaVar Ball, this summer.
On Friday, LaVar confirmed the news to Franklyn Calle of Slam Online.
"Melo got the opportunity to play against international competition and experienced the game from a different perspective while in Lithuania," he said. "Now he's able to come back to the States and remind people why he was the most talked about high school player in the world before he left. It's time to take it to another level now."
The JBA was created by the elder Ball as a potential alternative to NCAA college basketball, giving prospects an opportunity to earn money for playing while waiting the NBA-mandated year before becoming eligible for the NBA draft.
LaVar told Calle the league, which will take its best players on an international tour following its own inaugural season, has received a strong response as it looks to fill rosters for teams from Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, L.A., New York City, Philadelphia and Seattle.
"As a family we've never been afraid to find new challenges and do things that others may be too afraid to do, and this move is no different," he said. "Hundreds of people have come out to the tryouts and have showed that they want to be a part of something that is different and that will go down in the history books."
LaMelo could become the first face of the JBA.
The 16-year-old point guard was a highly regarded college prospect before signing to play professionally with BC Vytautas Prienai of the Lithuanian Basketball League in December. He averaged 6.6 points, 2.6 assists and 1.4 rebounds in nine LKL games (via Real GM) before leaving the team last month.
Ball should benefit from returning stateside to play against younger competition. He's a sensational offensive talent, once scoring 92 points in a high school game, but his time in Lithuania showcased the need for vast improvement at the defensive end of the floor.
