LaMelo Ball Biography
LaMelo Ball also LaFrance is a professional basketball player originally from the United States. He plays for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association. With the third overall choice in the 2020 NBA Draft, the Hornets selected him. In 2021, Ball won the NBA Rookie of the Year award. The following year, in 2022, he was selected for the NBA All-Star game.
LaMelo Ball Age
LaFrance was born on August 22, 2001,Anaheim, California, U.S. He is 21 years old as of 2022. LaMelo celebrates his birthday on 22nd August.
LaMelo Ball Height
LaFrance stands at an average height of 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) and has a weight of 82kg.
LaMelo Ball Family
Ball was born in Anaheim, California, to former collegiate basketball stars LaVar and Tina Ball. As soon as Ball could walk, his father, LaVar, started teaching him how to play basketball. At the age of four, he began competing against considerably older opponents alongside his older brothers, Lonzo and LiAngelo. At age five, he continued to concentrate on basketball while also participating in flag football with his siblings.
Ball started playing alongside his siblings on the 17-and-under Big Ballers VXT Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) squad. This was in 2013 when he was a seventh-grader. The team participated in regional contests rather than elite AAU circuits because it was not sponsored by a significant shoe business.
LaMelo Ball Dating / Girlfriend
It seems LaMelo has not yet revealed who his life partner is, or perhaps, he has not yet found the love of his life. We will keep tabs and update you soon. He also has no past record of having any children.
LaMelo Ball Career
Highschool career
Freshman season (2015–2016)
Ball began playing basketball for Chino Hills High School in Chino Hills, California, during his freshman year. Alongside his cousin Andre Ball and his two older brothers, Lonzo and LiAngelo, he played on the same team. Ball scored 27 points in his debut game as a starter. He scored 26 points on March 5, 2016, as his team defeated Sierra Canyon School to win the CIF Southern Section Open Division championship.
Later on in the month, Ball scored 14 points against De La Salle High School in the championship game to help his team win the CIF Open Division state title. Chino Hills won the fabled national championship after finishing the season with a 35-0 record. Ball shared the MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year award with his teammate Onyeka Okongwu after averaging 16.4 points and 3.8 assists per game.
Sophomore season (2016–2017)
Ball gained worldwide attention on December 26, 2016, after he made a half-court shot two seconds into a game. Despite having a game-high 36 points on February 4, 2017, Chino Hills’ 60-game winning streak was snapped against Oak Hill Academy, and he had his first high school defeat. Ball then defeated Los Osos High School on February 7 and scored 92 points, which ranks second all-time in a single game in California high school history. Analysts chastised him for cherry-picking since on his next possession, he frequently waited near half-court to grab a clear shot rather than defending.
Ball concluded the season averaging roughly 10 assists and 26.7 points per game, earning first-team sophomore all-American honors from MaxPreps. He participated in an AAU match on July 27 against five-star prospect Zion Williamson, which was covered by the country’s sports media.
Ball departed Chino Hills on October 2, 2017, before the start of his junior season, to attend school at home because his father disagreed with the school’s management and newly appointed head coach Dennis Latimore. On December 7, he and his brother LiAngelo inked a contract with agent Harrison Gaines to play professionally abroad. He had made up his mind not to play basketball in college. Gaines made the brothers available to professional teams in a number of European nations and Japan in the days that followed.
Senior season (2018–2019)
Ball attended SPIRE Institute and Academy, a prep school in Geneva, Ohio, on November 5, 2018, having skipped his junior and a portion of his senior years to pursue a career in professional sports. There, he played under head coach Jermaine Jackson. Ball was able to participate in SPIRE competitions without worrying about his amateur status because they were held outside the control of the Ohio High School Athletic Association. Because Ball’s professional expertise might jeopardize their eligibility under their state federations, a number of well-known high school teams canceled their games with SPIRE.
Because the Hoophall Classic tournament officials did not agree to a $10,000 demand from a member of the Ball family in order for Ball to play, his team was disqualified from the competition. Ball made his SPIRE debut on November 10, 2018, scoring 20 points, dishing out 13 assists, and pulling down five rebounds in a 96-84 victory over The Hill School. Ball was selected as season MVP and assisted his squad in reaching the championship. Due to his professional background, he was declared ineligible for the 2019 McDonald’s All-American Game.
Recruiting
Before beginning high school, at the age of 13, Ball verbally committed to play college basketball for UCLA, becoming the third of his brothers to do so. At the time, Ball was also being pursued by Virginia and Washington State, but he declared UCLA to be his “dream school.” During his second year of high school, he became one of the top recruits in the 2019 class. He was rated as a five-star prospect by the majority of recruiting organizations, making him one of the best point guards in his class. Ball maintained his status as a five-star prospect when he returned to high school in 2018 following a professional break.
Ball’s ability to compete for the National Collegiate Athletic Association was put in jeopardy by the 2017 release of his Melo Ball 1 signature sneaker by Big Baller Brand, a sportswear brand owned by his family (NCAA). LaMelo’s father disregarded the issues and thought about having his son forgo college as a result. Ball’s eligibility for the NCAA was further jeopardized by his hiring of an agent and his professional background. He indicated an interest in playing collegiate basketball upon his return to high school in November 2018. However, concerns over his eligibility deterred major NCAA Division I programs from recruiting him. Ball, though, looked into alternate choices in the months that followed, including prep school, the NBA G League, and professional leagues in Australia and China.
Professional career
Prienai (2018)
Ball and his brother LiAngelo joined Prienai of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) on December 11, 2017. Ball reportedly made history by signing a professional basketball contract at the age of 19. The brothers’ relocation to Lithuania received extensive coverage in American sports media. Upon their arrival, Prienai withdrew from the Baltic Basketball League and participated in a number of exhibition games supported by Big Baller Brand. Ball made his professional debut on January 13 against Lietkabelis, going scoreless in five minutes.
He had a season-high 19 points on February 4 against Algiris, including four three-pointers and six assists. He sustained a leg injury during an exhibition game toward the end of the month. Keeping him out for a month. Ball’s father criticized the team’s head coach Virginijus ekus, in part because Ball did not get enough playing time, and the family left Prienai on April 25. He averaged 6.5 points and 2.4 assists over 12.8 minutes per game in the LKL, shooting 26.8 percent from the field.
Los Angeles Ballers (2018)
Ball was hailed by the Junior Basketball Association (JBA), which his father founded as a replacement for college basketball, as their “marquee player” when he joined the Los Angeles Ballers on May 4, 2018. In his first game against the New York Ballers on June 21, he recorded a triple-double with 40 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists, and three steals while shooting 15 of 40 from the floor. Ball was selected for the All-Star Game and averaged a triple-double over the course of eight regular season games: 39.6 points, 14.6 rebounds, and 11.5 assists.
He recorded a season-high 55 points, 16 rebounds, and seven assists against the New York Ballers in the playoff semifinals. He guided Los Angeles to a victory over the Seattle Ballers in the JBA championship. Ball was selected to play for the league’s elite squad. Known as JBA USA, after the season to take part in an international trip against several European teams. He was kicked out of an exhibition game against Dzkija on October 31. After punching an opponent in the face after an altercation. He finished his senior year of high school in the United States on November 5, after he returned from the JBA tour.
Illawarra Hawks (2019–2020)
Ball signed a two-year contract with the National Basketball League’s Illawarra Hawks of Australia on June 17, 2019. Which included NBA out provisions (NBL). Through the NBL Next Stars program, which seeks to develop NBA draft prospects, he joined the Hawks. After representing No Shnacks in the Drew League in August 2019, Ball won the league’s top rookie distinction, the Leader of the New School title. He relocated to Australia alongside his former SPIRE Institute coach Jermaine Jackson. Who later served as his manager and assisted him in adjusting, to the NBL season. LaMelo achieved success at the NBL Blitz, a preseason competition, in late September. He outscored the Perth Wildcats in a preseason victory with 19 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 assists.
Before his next game on December 8, it was revealed that he will be sidelined for around four weeks after hurting his foot during practice. While still injured, Ball made the decision to sit out the rest of the season on January 16, 2020. On January 28, he cut ties with the Hawks in order to head back home and get ready for the 2020 NBA Draft. Ball averaged 17 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game through 12 NBL games while shooting 37.7 percent from the floor. He defeated Kouat Noi by five votes to win the NBL Rookie of the Year award at the end of the season (49–44).
Charlotte Hornets (2020)
In the 2020 NBA draft, Ball was predicted to go first overall. Ball was chosen by the Charlotte Hornets as the third overall choice in the 2020 NBA draft. It took place on November 18, 2020. He and his brother Lonzo, who was selected second overall in the 2017 NBA Draft, made history by being the first pair of brothers to be selected in the top three picks. He started the regular season off the bench after an erratic preseason. Ball made his NBA debut on December 23, 2020, playing 16 minutes in a 121-114 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers while recording zero points, one rebound, three assists, and two steals.
LaMelo and Lonzo played in their first official matchup at any level on January 8, 2021, against the New Orleans Pelicans. Ball assisted the Hornets in coming back from an 18-point deficit to win 118-110. With 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists, he just missed a triple-double. Josh Giddey later broke his record by scoring 22 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists in a 113-105 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on January 9. Making him the youngest player to ever score a triple-double in NBA history.
In a 126-114 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on January 30, Ball notched a then-career-high 27 points, five rebounds, nine assists, and four steals. Ball received the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month honors for his play in December and January. Averaging 12.2 points, 6.1 assists, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in his first 21 NBA games.
Achievements
Ball got his first career start on February 1 in a 129-121 victory over the Miami Heat. He had 14 points, five rebounds, and seven assists when the game was over. In a 138-121 loss against the Utah Jazz on February 5, Ball notched a then-career-high 34 points. Eight assists, four rebounds, two steals, and one block.
He also made history for the organization by being the player with the youngest 30-point outing. He received the title of Rookie of the Month once more for February after playing in 13 games and averaging 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 6.7 assists. LaMelowas reported as being out indefinitely after sustaining a fractured bone in his right wrist during a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on March 21. LaMelo was given the all-clear to pick up basketball again on April 19. Ball returned from injury on May 1 and contributed 11 points and seven rebounds. Additionally. eight assists in a 107-94 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Ball was chosen for the NBA All-Rookie First Team and was crowned the 2020–21 NBA Rookie of the Year following the season.
LaMelo equaled his career-high of seven three-pointers in the opening game of the Hornets’ 2021–22 campaign against the Indiana Pacers. Scoring 31 points, adding nine rebounds, and dishing out seven assists. On November 17, Ball outscored the Washington Wizards 97-87 while dishing up a career-high 14 assists. In a 127-125 loss against the Milwaukee Bucks on December 1, Ball notched a then-career-high 36 points. Nine assists, five rebounds, and three steals. In a 113-107 loss to the Boston Celtics on February 2, 2022, Ball notched a career-high 38 points, nine assists, and five rebounds. Ball was selected to play in his first NBA All-Star Game as a Kevin Durant injury replacement on February 7.
LaMelo Ball Salary
LaMelo Ball agreed to a four-year, $35,596,275 deal with the Charlotte Hornets. It included a $35,596,275 guarantee and an $8,899,069 average yearly salary. Ball will have an $8,623,920 basic salary in 2022–2023, as well as an $8,623,920 cap hit and $8,623,920 in dead cap value.
LaMelo Ball Net Worth
Ball has an estimated net worth of $20 million. His primary source of income is his career as a basketball player.
Social Media Accounts
Ball is active on social media and he posts personal and work-related stuff from time to time. He has over 2000 followers on Instagram, about 1500 on Facebook, and around 2300 on Twitter.