Free agent | |
---|---|
Position | Shooting guard / small forward |
Personal information | |
Born | Anaheim, California, U.S. | November 24, 1998
Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
Listed weight | 230 lb (104 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | Chino Hills (Chino Hills, California) |
NBA draft | 2018: undrafted |
Playing career | 2018–present |
Career history | |
2018 | Prienai |
2018 | Los Angeles Ballers |
2021–2023 | Greensboro Swarm |
2024 | Astros de Jalisco |
Career highlights and awards | |
Stats at Basketball Reference |
LiAngelo Robert Ball (born November 24, 1998) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Astros de Jalisco. Ball played for Chino Hills High School in California, where he won a state championship and achieved national success as a junior with his brothers Lonzo and LaMelo, who are both current NBA guards. A three-star recruit and UCLA signee, he decided to forgo college basketball after being suspended for shoplifting in China before the 2017–18 season. In turn, Ball signed with Lithuanian professional team Prienai. He later played in the Junior Basketball Association (JBA), a league founded by his father, before joining the G League at the end of 2019–20. He was briefly signed to the Detroit Pistons in late 2020, but was waived prior to the start of the 2020–21 season. Ball joined the Greensboro Swarm in 2021.
Ball and his brothers have attracted national attention since playing together in high school. His father, LaVar, also grew into a media personality in 2017. Ball has a signature shoe by his father's company, Big Baller Brand, and a role on his family's Facebook Watch reality show Ball in the Family .
Ball is the second son of LaVar and Tina (née Slatinsky) Ball, who are both former college basketball players. LaVar, who stands 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m), played for Washington State and Cal State Los Angeles. Tina, who stands six feet (1.83 m), also played with the latter school. [1] His father later played professional football as a tight end for the London Monarchs of the World League of American Football. [2] [3]
In his childhood, Ball often played basketball against older opponents, facing teams of fourth- and fifth-graders while in kindergarten. [3] He started working out and training by age four and first competed with both of his brothers, Lonzo and LaMelo, at age six. [3] [4] As a seven-year-old, he also began playing flag football with his brothers. While Lonzo was a quarterback, LiAngelo and LaMelo caught passes. [3] On the basketball court, LiAngelo grew up playing with his brothers on Big Ballers VXT, an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) under-17 team created by their father and coached by both parents. [4] [5] [6]
Ball played basketball for four years at Chino Hills High School in Chino Hills, California. As a freshman, he started alongside his older brother, Lonzo. [7] [8] Ball helped Chino Hills reach its first-ever CIF Southern Section Open Division championship game. [9] [10] Chino Hills fell in overtime to Centennial High School at the Southern California Regional Division I final. [11] As a sophomore, Ball was teammates with his brother, Lonzo, and his cousin, Andre Ball. He suffered a foot injury before the season and missed a tournament at Fairfax High School in June 2014. [12] On September 14, he scored 35 points with seven three-point field goals to win the Ron Massey Memorial Fall Hoops Classic. [13] In December 2014, Ball scored 53 points in a 111–80 win over Dorsey High School. [14] [15] At the end of the season, Ball was sidelined for four games with an ankle sprain but returned for the playoffs. [16] His team lost at the CIF State Division I championship game. [17] After the season, on April 21, he verbally committed to play college basketball for UCLA. [18] [19]
In his junior season, Ball played with both of his brothers, Lonzo and LaMelo. [20] In December 2015, Ball scored 32 points to upset top-ranked Montverde Academy in the City of Palms Classic quarterfinals. [21] [22] He scored 40 points in a semifinal win over High Point Christian Academy and won the tournament. [23] [24] Against Jonesboro High School at the MaxPreps Holiday Classic, Ball scored 41 points. [25] On February 11, he led all scorers with 32 points against Etiwanda High School, as Chino Hills finished the regular season with a 27–0 record. [26] On March 5, 2016, he scored 31 points to win the CIF Southern Section Open Division title over Sierra Canyon School. [27] On March 26, he had 18 points to win the Open Division title over De La Salle High School. [28] As a junior, Ball averaged 27.4 points per game, which led his team. [29] [30] His team finished 35–0 and was named mythical national champion by MaxPreps, who also labeled their title run "perhaps the best brother act in high school basketball history." [28]
On November 29, Ball scored 56 points in a 121–89 win over Lutheran High School of Orange County. [31] In his following game, which was played on the next day, Ball scored a career-high 72 points with 13 three-pointers in a 128–108 victory over Rancho Christian School, the tenth-most points scored in a single game in California high school history. [32] On December 26, he scored 65 points in a Rancho Mirage Holiday Invitational win over Foothill High School. [33] On January 20, 2017, Ball scored 60 points in a 136–93 win over Los Osos High School. [34] Seven days later, he registered 52 points and 10 three-pointers in a victory against Damien High School. [35] His team fell in the CIF Southern Section Open Division semifinals to Bishop Montgomery High School. [36] After a 30–3 season, he was named All-Area Player of the Year by The San Bernardino Sun and Inland Valley Daily Bulletin . [37] Ball was also a first-team All-State and honorable mention All-American selection by MaxPreps. [38] In addition, he averaged 33.8 points per game as a senior, leading the state of California in scoring. [39]
Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LiAngelo Ball SG | Chino Hills, CA | Chino Hills (CA) | 6 ft 5.3 in (1.96 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Apr 21, 2015 | |
Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 79 | ||||||
Overall recruiting rankings: 247Sports: 226 | ||||||
Sources:
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Ball was a consensus three-star recruit. [40] [41] [42] [43] 247Sports.com ranked him outside of their top-200 recruits nationally and as the 50th-best shooting guard in his class. [41] Having already committed to play for the UCLA Bruins as a high school sophomore, Ball signed a letter of intent on November 2, 2016, and enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles on June 1, 2017. [18] [41] [44] He was projected to be a reserve for during his 2017–18 freshman season for UCLA. [45] [46] He played his only game with the Bruins in the preseason on November 1, 2017, against NCAA Division II team Cal State Los Angeles, scoring 11 points. [47]
On November 7, 2017, days before UCLA's regular season opener against Georgia Tech overseas in Shanghai, Ball and two other freshman teammates were arrested in Hangzhou for allegedly stealing sunglasses from a Louis Vuitton store at a high-end shopping center near their team hotel. [48] [49] [50] The trio potentially faced a fine and three to ten years in prison but were soon released from custody; [51] [52] Ball and his teammates thanked then-President Donald Trump for helping secure their release. [53] Ball was suspended indefinitely from the UCLA basketball program following the incident. [54]
On December 4, he announced that he planned to withdraw from UCLA; [55] his father LaVar had grown frustrated over the length of the suspension. [56] Had Ball stayed at UCLA, he would have remained suspended for the rest of the season. [55]
Although Ball was not considered a prospect at the time for the National Basketball Association (NBA), he planned on preparing for the 2018 draft with his father after leaving UCLA. [46] [57] On December 11, 2017, he signed with Prienai of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL), [58] along with his younger brother LaMelo, who left Chino Hills before his junior season. [59] The brothers' move to Lithuania was heavily reported by American sports media. [60] [61] Prienai withdrew from the Baltic Basketball League upon their arrival and took part in various exhibition games sponsored by his family's sports apparel company, Big Baller Brand. [62]
In his professional debut on January 13, 2018, Ball went scoreless in a 95–86 loss to Lietkabelis. [63] On February 11, he made his first start, recording 13 points in a 97–95 victory over Šiauliai. [64] On March 25, Ball scored a season-high 28 points with six three-pointers in a loss to Nevėžis. [65] On March 27, 2018, he announced that he would enter the 2018 NBA draft, even though most analysts believed that he was a long shot to be selected. [66] [67] On April 19, Ball injured his ankle and left early versus Juventus Utena. [68] On April 25, Ball left Prienai with his family, with their father being critical of head coach Virginijus Šeškus. [69] [70] He finished the LKL season averaging 12.6 points and 2.7 rebounds per game, shooting 41.5% from the three-point line. [71] Ball was not selected at the 2018 NBA draft. [72]
On July 9, 2018, Ball signed with the Los Angeles Ballers of the Junior Basketball Association, a league founded by his father as an alternative to college basketball. [73] He joined in the middle of the season and made his debut on July 14, tallying 53 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. [74] Ball was named to the West roster for the JBA All-Star Game and was named co-MVP of the game after scoring 39 points. [75] Ball recorded 39 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals in a 202–189 win to claim the All-Star Game MVP award. [76] In his first playoff game, he scored a season-high 58 points in a 157–134 win over the Philadelphia Ballers. [77] On August 12, Ball matched his season high of 58 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists in a Finals victory over the Seattle Ballers and was subsequently named Finals MVP. [78] At the end of the season, Ball was among 14 players in the league named to the JBA USA select Team, which faced several European teams on an international tour. [79]
In July 2019, Ball underwent surgery for an ankle injury and missed the NBA Summer League. [80] On December 29, he signed with the Oklahoma City Blue of the NBA G League as a practice player. [81] On March 9, 2020, he signed with the Blue by waiver claim. [82] [83] The Blue played just one game, which Ball did not play in, before the remainder of the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [84] [85]
On December 2, 2020, Ball was signed to a training camp contract by the Detroit Pistons. [86] [87] On December 13, 2020, he was waived without playing in a pre-season game. [88] [89] [90]
In the summer of 2021, Ball was invited by his brother LaMelo to work out with his team, the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets allowed their players to bring in one workout partner. The Charlotte staff was impressed observing Ball, and he earned a spot on their Summer League team. [91] In his summer league debut, he had five three-pointers in 16 minutes. [92] On October 14, 2021, Ball was signed by the Hornets. [93] However, he was waived the next day. [94]
On October 23, 2021, Ball was selected by the Greensboro Swarm 14th overall in the 2021 NBA G League draft. [95] He scored 22 points in his G League debut. [96]
Ball joined the Charlotte Hornets for the 2022 NBA Summer League. [97] On September 26, 2022, Ball signed a non-guaranteed contract with the Hornets. [98] He was waived on October 15, 2022. [99]
On October 23, 2022, Ball rejoined the Greensboro Swarm roster for training camp. [100]
On February 14, 2024, it was announced that Ball had signed with the Astros de Jalisco of the Circuito de Baloncesto de la Costa del Pacífico (CIBACOPA) in Mexico. [101] He made his team debut in their season opener on March 1, recording no stats in six minutes of play in a 77–72 win against the Frayles de Guasave. [102] After playing only two games, Ball left the team due to a ligament injury in his left ankle, choosing to rehabilitate in the United States. [103]
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021–22 | Greensboro | 8 | 0 | 14.0 | .622 | .536 | .500 | 2.3 | .6 | .4 | .0 | 9.1 |
2022–23 | Greensboro | 11 | 2 | 19.0 | .390 | .375 | .500 | 1.3 | .9 | .7 | .1 | 5.7 |
Career | 19 | 2 | 16.9 | .490 | .441 | .500 | 1.7 | .8 | .6 | .1 | 7.2 |
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021–22 | Greensboro | 28 | 6 | 13.2 | .395 | .357 | .667 | 1.1 | .3 | .4 | .1 | 4.6 |
2022–23 | Greensboro | 3 | 0 | 11.7 | .250 | .111 | .000 | 1.0 | .0 | .3 | .0 | 2.3 |
Career | 31 | 6 | 13.1 | .382 | .333 | .500 | 1.1 | .2 | .4 | .1 | 4.4 |
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2017–18 | Prienai | 14 | 6 | 21.6 | .425 | .415 | .633 | 2.9 | 0.9 | .6 | .1 | 12.6 |
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | Astros | 2 | 0 | 9.5 | .111 | .000 | 1.000 | 0.0 | 0.5 | .0 | .0 | 2.0 |
Regular season [104]
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | Los Angeles | 4 | 4 | 47.3 | .444 | .250 | .667 | 12.0 | 6.5 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 51.8 |
All-Star [105] | 1 | 1 | 41.3 | .529 | .214 | .000 | 15.0 | 7.0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 39.0 |
Playoffs
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | Los Angeles | 3 | 3 | 40.0 | .442 | .400 | .762 | 8.7 | 3.0 | 2.0 | .3 | 47.3 |
Ball's older brother, Lonzo, is a point guard for the Chicago Bulls and was the second overall pick in the 2017 draft, while his younger brother LaMelo is a point guard for the Charlotte Hornets and was drafted third overall in the 2020 draft. [106] His cousin, Andre Ball, played college basketball for Pepperdine. [107]
In April 2023, Ball and reality television personality Nikki Mudarris announced they were expecting a child. [108] Their son, LaVelo Anthony Ball, was born on July 19, 2023.
Chino Hills High School, abbreviated CHHS, is located in Chino Hills, California, United States and is a public comprehensive high school serving a student body from three cities in the Chino Valley Unified School District. The school was established in 2001 and is located in the City of Chino Hills, which is in the southwest corner of San Bernardino County. The City of Chino Hills was incorporated in 1991, and is now a community of 84,364. Chino Valley Unified School District serves over 29,000 students in Chino, Chino Hills, and south Ontario. The district employs over 2,600 people, and supports thirty-five schools including four comprehensive high schools and one continuation school.
Lonzo Anderson Ball is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A point guard, he played college basketball for one season with the UCLA Bruins, earning consensus first-team All-American honors before the Los Angeles Lakers selected him with the second overall pick of the 2017 NBA draft. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2018.
Ty Jacob Leaf is an Israeli-American professional basketball player for the Nanjing Monkey Kings of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). After playing one season of college basketball for the UCLA Bruins, he was selected by the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the 2017 NBA draft with the 18th overall pick.
LaMelo LaFrance Ball is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected by the Hornets with the third overall pick of the 2020 NBA draft. Ball was voted the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2021 and named an NBA All-Star the following season in 2022.
LaVar Christopher Ball is an American businessman. He is the co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of the sports apparel company Big Baller Brand and founder of the now defunct Junior Basketball Association (JBA). He is the father of three professional basketball players: Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo, Greensboro Swarm shooting guard LiAngelo and Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo.
The 2017–18 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bruins were led by fifth-year head coach Steve Alford and played their home games at Pauley Pavilion as members in the Pac-12 Conference. They finished the season 21–12, 11–7 in Pac-12 play to finish in a three-way tie for third place.
Big Baller Brand (BBB) is an American company that designs, manufactures, and sells clothing and shoes. Launched in 2016 by Alan Foster and LaVar Ball, it has most notably produced signature shoes for the Ball brothers—basketball players Lonzo Ball, LaMelo Ball, and LiAngelo Ball. Big Baller Brand has additionally been involved in the creation of the Junior Basketball Association (JBA), which it fully funded, and both the Big Baller Brand Challenge Games and Big Baller Brand International Tournament, which were a series of Lithuanian exhibition games hosted by BC Vytautas.
Onyeka Okongwu is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the USC Trojans.
The Junior Basketball Association (JBA) was an American basketball league that intended to be an alternative to the NCAA by allowing high school and junior college players to immediately play professionally. The league was first announced in December 2017 by LaVar Ball and was said to be fully funded by Ball's sports apparel company, Big Baller Brand. The JBA existed for just one season in 2018, featuring eight teams from major US cities.
Harrison Burwell Gaines is an American former basketball player who is most notably a California Attorney and the founder and chief executive officer of sports agency SLASH Sports & Entertainment. A native of Victorville, California, Gaines was a standout point guard at Serrano High School. He played college basketball with Penn before transferring to UC Riverside for his final two seasons. He later attended Thomas Jefferson School of Law.
Big Baller Brand Challenge Games were a series of friendly basketball games between Vytautas Prienai–Birštonas of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) and five teams in the LKL, National Basketball League (NKL), and Regional Basketball League (RKL). It began on January 9 and ended on January 28, 2018. The games were designed by Vytautas to give more exposure to its new signees, brothers LaMelo and LiAngelo Ball, and resulted in the team's withdrawal from the 2017–18 Baltic Basketball League season. The games were sponsored by Big Baller Brand, an athletic apparel company founded by the brothers' father LaVar Ball, and were streamed on Facebook Live via Ballislife Weekly Showcase.
The Big Baller Brand International Tournament was a round-robin basketball tournament hosted by Vytautas Prienai–Birštonas of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) that featured three teams from different European countries. It began on February 25 and ended on February 27, 2018, with a total of six games and three games per team. The competition took place at Prienai Arena in Prienai, Lithuania, with the games featuring Vytautas being streamed through Facebook.
The 2017–18 BC Prienai season was the 23rd season in the existence of the club, which was known as Vytautas Prienai–Birštonas for sponsorship reasons. The team played in the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) but also briefly participated in the Baltic Basketball League (BBL) and in the qualifying round of Basketball Champions League (BCL). The season was highlighted with both on-court and financial struggles, dating as far back as 2016, and several roster changes.
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