LaMelo Ball

Young basketball star LaMelo Ball was only drafted into the NBA by the Charlotte Hornets in 2020 but has already had an eventful career that has seen him rated as a five-star prospect during high school, skip college for professional spells in Lithuania and Australia, and win Rookie of the Year in the latter country’s league. In May 2021, at the All-Star Break, he led the NBA Rookies standings in every category, the first player to do that in 60 seasons.

Ball was born in California in 2001. As soon as he could walk, his father, Big Baller CEO LaVar Ball, was teaching him to play basketball. He capped his high school freshman season by helping his team win the State Championship and maintain a 35-0 record. In the process, he was joint recipient of that year’s MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year Award. Early in his sophomore season, he made headlines across America by scoring from the half-court line two seconds into a game. By the end of the following year, a coaching dispute saw him relocate to Lithuania, reportedly becoming the youngest ever American to sign a professional basketball contract. He remained with the team for five months before returning to the States.

In 2018, he began playing for the Los Angeles Ballers in the Junior Basketball Association, a league created by his father to rival college basketball. He had a successful season in the league before returning to high school. The following year, he signed for the Illara Hawks in the Australian NBL, setting records and being named the NBL Rookie of the Year. In 2020, he was the third overall selection in the NBA Draft, being picked by the Charlotte Hornets. With his incredible talent still developing, who knows what the future holds for him?