"He is never playing in the NBA" - NBA fans roast LaMelo Ball's brother LiAngelo Ball's workout session
Lonzo, LiAngelo and LaMelo Ball — more commonly known as the Ball brothers — were once one of the most feared trios in high school basketball, terrorizing the competition in Southern California. In 2016, the trio led the Chino Hills Huskies to a perfect 35-0 record and the California state championship.
Lonzo and LaMelo each went off to the NBA, playing at the highest level. However, the road hasn't been as straightforward for LiAngelo. He has played with the Greensboro Swarm, the Charlotte Hornets' G League affiliate, in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, but never reached the NBA for the Hornets. He did join them in the 2022 Summer League and even signed a non-guaranteed contract — where he was waived on October of the same year.
LiAngelo has since been working hard to stage a comeback. In a post to X on Monday afternoon, he showed off an inside look at his offseason workout.
But NBA fans weren't entirely supportive of the oldest of the Ball trio.
"Ready for a pickup game at LA Fitness...," @AG_NBA_X said.
"Ready for what? He is never playing in the NBA," @Kbez23 added.
Some fans joked that LiAngelo should switch sports due to his workout.
"Is he trying out for a football team??" @MarcAnthonyHere said.
"He should join the NFL," @30problemz added.
LiAngelo signed a training camp deal with the Detroit Pistons on December 2, 2020, but was waived just 11 days later on December 13. He also signed two contracts with the Charlotte Hornets, getting waived in 2021 and 2022.
LiAngelo Ball signs with professional basketball team in Mexico
LiAngelo played last season for Astros de Jalisco, a team in Mexico's Circuito de Baloncesto de la Costa del Pacífico.
It is unclear whether he will return to the club for the 2024-25 season, as he is not listed on the team's active roster.
In LiAngelo's last season with the Greensboro Swarm, he averaged 5.7 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game, shooting 39% from the field and 37.5% from three-point range in 11 games. He made two starts in the 2022-23 season.
LiAngelo played in eight games for the Swarm the year prior, averaging 9.1 points and 2.3 rebounds, shooting 62.2% from the field and 53.6% from three-point range.
The Hornets selected his younger brother, LaMelo, with the No. 3 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. The youngest Ball brother is the only one of the three to make an NBA All-Star game.