LaMelo Ball Signs Contract with Father LaVar's Junior Basketball Association

It's official: LaMelo Ball will play in the Junior Basketball Association this summer.

Per a video posted by Overtime, the youngest Ball brother has signed a contract with the upstart basketball league founded by his father, LaVar Ball. Slam's Franklyn Calle reported in May that Ball would play for the Los Angeles-based squad.

LaVar pulled the 16-year-old from Chino Hills High School in Chino Hills, California, last October. While he had been expected to follow in his brothers' footsteps and play college basketball at UCLA, LaMelo wound up going overseas to play professionally in Lithuania with brother LiAngelo on BC Vytautas.

Their time in Lithuania ended in April—but not before LaMelo put together a highlight reel:

In December, LaVar Ball announced he would create the Junior Basketball Association to provide top high school players with an alternative to college basketball. Per ESPN.com's Darren Rovell, the best players are expected to make $10,000 per month, while the lowest-ranked player gets $3,000 per month.

Ball aimed to bring in 80 players to fill out a total of 10 teams.

"Getting these players is going to be easy," Ball said, per Rovell. "This is giving guys a chance to get a jump start on their career, to be seen by pro scouts; and we're going to pay them, because someone has to pay these kids."

With LaMelo under contract, the Junior Basketball Association now has a star to build around. It's unclear, though, if the league will gain enough traction to help Ball and other high school stars reach the NBA.