The off-season has been a memorable one for the Ball family. First, LaMelo Ball was taken with the No. 3 pick by the Charlotte Hornets. His selection made history as he and Lonzo became the first brothers selected with top-five picks.
On Wednesday, LiAngelo created some shockwaves by signing an Exhibit 10 deal with the Detroit Pistons, making him the third Ball brother on an NBA contract. Lonzo, LaMelo and LaVar each reacted to the signing on social media in the aftermath, but Lonzo talked more about it at length to the media on Thursday.
“I’m just proud of them,” he said. “I’ve been with them the whole way. Since we were kids we’ve always been together (and) been very close…and we all made it different ways. That’s the beauty of it, going our own path and meeting up at the end is a great thing to see.”
Each path was vastly different to the NBA for the three brothers, as Lonzo notes. He took the traditional route, playing one season at UCLA before being drafted No. 2 overall by the Lakers.
LiAngelo spent only a few months on UCLA’s team before leaving the program following his international incident in China. His path featured nothing traditional as the only organized basketball he has played since leaving college has been with the JBA, LaVar’s short-lived league.
LaMelo’s path was oft-discussed leading up to the draft and was just as unique with stops in Lithuania and Australia. Ultimately, the fact they all ended up in the NBA is a testament to the hard work of each individual brother.
