LaMelo Ball facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
LaMelo Ball

Ball in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game
No. 1 – Charlotte Hornets
Point guard
Personal information
Born	(2001-08-22) August 22, 2001 (age 24) Anaheim, California, U.S.
High school	Chino Hills (Chino Hills, California) SPIRE Academy (Geneva, Ohio)
Listed height	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight	180 lb (82 kg)
Career information
NBA Draft	2020 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall
Selected by the Charlotte Hornets
Pro career	2018–present
League	NBA
Career history
2018	Prienai
2018	Los Angeles Ballers
2019–2020	Illawarra Hawks
2020–present	Charlotte Hornets
Career highlights and awards
NBA All-Star (2022) NBA Rookie of the Year (2021) NBA All-Rookie First Team (2021) NBL Rookie of the Year (2020) JBA champion (2018) JBA All-Star (2018)

LaMelo LaFrance Ball (born August 22, 2001) is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the Charlotte Hornets in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Hornets chose him as the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. LaMelo Ball was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2021. He also became an NBA All-Star in 2022.

Ball started his high school basketball career at Chino Hills High School in Chino Hills, California. As a freshman, he won a state championship with his older brothers, Lonzo and LiAngelo. Before his junior year, he left Chino Hills. He then signed with a professional team in Lithuania called Prienai. In 2018, he played in the Junior Basketball Association (JBA). This league was created by his father. After that, he returned to high school for his senior year at SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio.

LaMelo was a highly sought-after player for college. He had planned to play for UCLA. However, he decided to play professionally in Australia instead. He joined the Illawarra Hawks in the NBL in 2019. His success there helped him become a top pick in the 2020 NBA draft.

LaMelo and his brothers have been famous since high school. Their father, LaVar, also became a well-known media personality. LaMelo has his own signature shoe from his father's company, Big Baller Brand. He also appears on his family's reality show Ball in the Family. His older brother Lonzo Ball plays for the Chicago Bulls.

Early Life and Basketball Beginnings

LaMelo Ball was born in Anaheim, California. His parents, LaVar and Tina Ball, both played college basketball.

LaMelo started learning basketball from his father as soon as he could walk. By age four, he was playing with his older brothers, Lonzo and LiAngelo. They often played against much older kids. In 2013, when he was in seventh grade, Ball joined his brothers on an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team. This team was called Big Ballers VXT. His parents started and coached the team.

High School Basketball Journey

Freshman Year Success (2015–2016)

LaMelo began playing high school basketball at Chino Hills High School in Chino Hills, California. He played alongside his brothers, Lonzo and LiAngelo. In his very first game, he scored 27 points. In March 2016, he helped his team win the CIF Southern Section Open Division title. Later that month, Chino Hills won the CIF Open Division state championship. The team finished the season with a perfect 35–0 record. They were also recognized as the best high school team in the country. LaMelo averaged 16.4 points and 3.8 assists per game. He was named MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year.

Sophomore Year Highlights (2016–2017)

On December 26, 2016, LaMelo made news for scoring a half-court shot just two seconds into a game. On February 4, 2017, his team lost for the first time in high school. This ended Chino Hills' 60-game winning streak. In his next game, on February 7, Ball scored an amazing 92 points. This was the second-highest score in California high school history. He finished the season averaging 26.7 points and almost 10 assists per game. He earned a spot on the MaxPreps Sophomore All-American first team.

Before his junior season, LaMelo left Chino Hills High School. He decided to be homeschooled. On December 7, he signed with an agent to play basketball professionally overseas. This meant he would not play college basketball.

Senior Year at SPIRE Academy (2018–2019)

Ball with SPIRE Academy at the Flyin' to the Hoop Invitational in January 2019

On November 5, 2018, LaMelo joined SPIRE Institute and Academy. This is a prep school in Geneva, Ohio. SPIRE played outside the rules of the Ohio High School Athletic Association. This allowed LaMelo to play without issues about his amateur status. Some high school teams canceled games against SPIRE. This was because LaMelo's professional experience could affect their players' eligibility.

On November 10, 2018, Ball played his first game for SPIRE. He had 20 points, 13 assists, and five rebounds. He helped his team reach the final game and was named the season's MVP.

College Recruiting Journey

LaMelo Ball had verbally agreed to play college basketball for UCLA when he was 13. He was the third of his brothers to commit to the school. During his sophomore year, he became a top player in the 2019 class. Most experts saw him as a five-star recruit.

In 2017, his family's company, Big Baller Brand, released his signature shoe, the Melo Ball 1. This raised questions about whether he could play in college under NCAA rules. His professional experience later made it even harder for him to play college basketball. Despite this, he showed interest in playing college basketball when he returned to high school in 2018. However, he later looked into other options. These included playing in professional leagues in Australia and China.

Professional Basketball Career

Playing in Lithuania (2018)

Ball with Prienai at a London exhibition game in April 2018

On December 11, 2017, LaMelo Ball signed with Prienai. This team plays in the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL). He signed with his brother, LiAngelo. Ball became one of the youngest Americans to sign a professional basketball contract. Their move to Lithuania was widely reported in American sports news.

On January 13, 2018, Ball made his professional debut. He did not score any points in five minutes of play. On February 4, he scored a season-high 19 points. He also had four three-pointers and six assists. In April, Ball and his family left Prienai. His father felt LaMelo was not getting enough playing time. He finished the LKL season averaging 6.5 points and 2.4 assists per game.

Los Angeles Ballers (2018)

On May 4, 2018, Ball signed with the Los Angeles Ballers. This team was part of the Junior Basketball Association (JBA). His father created this new league as an alternative to college basketball. LaMelo was seen as the league's main player. In his first game on June 21, he achieved a triple-double. He had 40 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists.

Over eight regular season games, Ball averaged a triple-double. He had 39.6 points, 14.6 rebounds, and 11.5 assists per game. He was also chosen for the All-Star Game. He led Los Angeles to win the JBA championship. After the season, Ball was named to the league's special team, JBA USA. This team played against European teams on a tour. On November 5, he left the JBA tour. He returned to high school in the United States for his senior season.

Illawarra Hawks in Australia (2019–2020)

Ball with the Illawarra Hawks in October 2019

On June 17, 2019, Ball signed a two-year contract with the Illawarra Hawks. This team plays in Australia's NBL. He joined the Hawks through the NBL Next Stars program. This program helps young players who might be drafted into the NBA.

On October 6, in his first regular season game, Ball had 12 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. On November 25, he recorded a season-high 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists. This was in an overtime win. He became the youngest NBL player to get a triple-double. In his next game, Ball got another triple-double. He had 25 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. He became the first player since 2009 to get back-to-back triple-doubles in the NBL.

On December 8, it was announced that he would miss about four weeks due to a foot injury. On January 16, 2020, Ball decided to sit out the rest of the season. He left the Hawks on January 28 to prepare for the 2020 NBA draft. In 12 NBL games, Ball averaged 17 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.8 assists. He was named NBL Rookie of the Year. Before playing in the NBL, some thought Ball might not even be drafted into the NBA. His time with the Hawks helped him become a projected top 3 pick.

Charlotte Hornets (2020–Present)

Rookie of the Year Season (2020–2021)

LaMelo Ball was chosen by the Charlotte Hornets as the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. This happened on November 18, 2020. He and his brother Lonzo became the first brothers to both be drafted in the top 3 of the NBA draft. Ball started the regular season coming off the bench. He made his NBA debut on December 23, 2020.

On January 9, 2021, at 19 years and 140 days old, he became the youngest player in NBA history to get a triple-double. He scored 22 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists. This record was later broken by Josh Giddey. On January 30, Ball scored a career-high 27 points. For his great play in December and January, Ball was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month. On February 1, Ball made his first start in an NBA game. On February 5, he scored a career-high 34 points. He also became the youngest player in Hornets history to score 30 points in a game. He was named Rookie of the Month again for February.

On March 21, Ball broke a bone in his right wrist. He was out for some time. On May 1, Ball returned from his injury. After the season, Ball was named the 2020–21 NBA Rookie of the Year. He was also chosen for the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

First All-Star Selection (2021–2022)

In the Hornets' first game of the 2021–22 season, Ball scored 31 points. He also had nine rebounds and seven assists. On November 17, Ball had a career-high 14 assists. On December 1, Ball scored a career-high 36 points. On February 2, 2022, Ball scored a career-high 38 points. On February 7, Ball was chosen for his first NBA All-Star Game. He was an injury replacement for Kevin Durant.

Season-Ending Injury (2022–2023)

Before the 2022–23 NBA season, Ball changed his jersey number from 2 to 1. On February 13, 2023, Ball scored 30 points and had a career-high 15 assists. He became the first Hornets player to have at least 30 points, five rebounds, and 15 assists in a game. On February 15, Ball had 28 points, 10 assists, and 12 rebounds. He became the second-youngest player in NBA history to reach 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 1,000 assists in his career. Only LeBron James did it faster. On February 27, Ball hurt his right ankle. The Hornets announced he had fractured his ankle and would be out. On March 1, Ball had surgery for his injury. He was ruled out for the rest of the season.

Contract Extension (2023–2024)

On July 6, 2023, Ball signed a contract extension with the Hornets. On November 5, Ball achieved a triple-double. He had 30 points, 13 assists, and 10 rebounds.

Career High in Scoring (2024–2025)

On October 23, 2024, in the Hornets' first game of the season, Ball scored 34 points. He also had eight rebounds and 11 assists. He became the first player in Hornets history to have at least 30 points and 10 assists in a season opener. On November 23, Ball scored a career-high 50 points. He also had five rebounds and 10 assists. He became the third-youngest player in NBA history to score 50 points. Ball followed this up by scoring 44 points in his next game. In 47 games, Ball averaged 25.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 7.4 assists. On March 28, 2025, the Hornets announced that Ball would miss the rest of the season. He needed two small procedures for his ankle and wrist.

Career Statistics

NBA

NBL

LKL

JBA

Regular season

Playoffs

Personal Life and Family

Ball (right) with his father LaVar and brother LiAngelo after playing in a London exhibition game for Prienai in April 2018

LaMelo is the youngest son of LaVar and Tina Ball. Both of his parents were college basketball players. LaVar played for Washington State and Cal State Los Angeles. Tina also played for Cal State Los Angeles. LaVar later played professional football.

Since high school, LaMelo has gained a lot of attention from sports news. He also has many followers on social media. By 2017, many people called him a celebrity. LaMelo is part of the Facebook Watch reality show Ball in the Family. This show started in August 2017 and shows the lives of his family members.

On August 31, 2017, Big Baller Brand released a signature shoe for him. It was called the Melo Ball 1 (MB1). He became the youngest athlete to ever have his own signature shoe.

Ball signed with Puma in 2021.

In November 2024, Ball was fined by the NBA. This was because he used offensive language in a post-game interview. The NBA said his words were "offensive and derogatory."

See also

In Spanish: LaMelo Ball para niños