LiAngelo Ball facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids
LiAngelo Ball
No. 3 – Free agent
Ball with Prienai in 2018
Shooting guard / small forward
Personal information
Born	(1998-11-24) November 24, 1998 (age 26) Anaheim, California, U.S.
High school	Chino Hills (Chino Hills, California)
Listed height	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight	230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
NBA Draft	2018 / Undrafted
Pro career	2018–present
Career history
2018	Prienai
2018	Los Angeles Ballers
2021–2023	Greensboro Swarm
2024	Astros de Jalisco

Career highlights and awards
JBA champion (2018) JBA Finals MVP (2018) JBA All-Star (2018) JBA All-Star Game Co-MVP (2018)

LiAngelo Robert Ball (born November 24, 1998) is an American professional basketball player. He last played for the Astros de Jalisco. LiAngelo played for Chino Hills High School in California. There, he won a state championship with his brothers Lonzo and LaMelo. Both of his brothers are now NBA players.

LiAngelo was a highly-rated player coming out of high school. He was set to play for UCLA. However, an incident in 2017 led him to leave college basketball. Instead, he signed with a professional team in Lithuania called Prienai. He later played in the Junior Basketball Association (JBA), a league started by his father. He then joined the G League. In 2020, he briefly signed with the Detroit Pistons but was later waived. Ball joined the Greensboro Swarm in 2021.

LiAngelo and his brothers became very well-known while playing together in high school. His father, LaVar Ball, also became a famous media personality. LiAngelo has his own shoe with his father's company, Big Baller Brand. He also appeared on his family's reality show Ball in the Family.

Early Life and Family Background

LiAngelo Ball is the second son of LaVar Ball and Tina Ball. Both of his parents were college basketball players. His father, LaVar, played for Washington State and Cal State Los Angeles. His mother, Tina, also played for Cal State Los Angeles. His father also played professional football for the London Monarchs.

Growing Up Playing Basketball

From a young age, LiAngelo played basketball against older kids. He faced teams of fourth and fifth graders when he was still in kindergarten. He started training and working out at age four. He first played with both of his brothers, Lonzo and LaMelo, when he was six years old.

At seven, he also started playing flag football with his brothers. Lonzo was the quarterback, and LiAngelo and LaMelo caught passes. On the basketball court, LiAngelo grew up playing with his brothers. They were on a team called Big Ballers VXT. This was an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team for players under 17. Their father created and coached the team with their mother.

High School Basketball Journey

LiAngelo Ball played basketball for four years at Chino Hills High School in Chino Hills, California.

Freshman and Sophomore Years

As a freshman, he played alongside his older brother, Lonzo. LiAngelo helped Chino Hills reach its first-ever CIF Southern Section Open Division championship game. They lost in overtime in the regional final.

In his sophomore year, LiAngelo played with Lonzo and his cousin, Andre Ball. He had a foot injury before the season. He missed a tournament in June 2014. In September, he scored 35 points and made seven three-point field goals to win a classic tournament. In December 2014, Ball scored 53 points in a big win. He was later sidelined for four games with an ankle sprain. His team lost in the state championship game. After the season, he decided to play college basketball for UCLA.

Junior Year Success

In his junior season, LiAngelo played with both of his brothers, Lonzo and LaMelo. In December 2015, Ball scored 32 points to beat top-ranked Montverde Academy. He scored 40 points in a semifinal win and helped his team win the tournament. He also scored 41 points in another classic tournament.

On February 11, he scored 32 points. Chino Hills finished the regular season with a perfect 27–0 record. On March 5, 2016, he scored 31 points to win a major section title. On March 26, he had 18 points to win another Open Division title. As a junior, Ball averaged 27.4 points per game, leading his team. His team finished with a perfect 35–0 record. They were named a national champion by MaxPreps.

Senior Year Highlights

On November 29, LiAngelo scored 56 points in a big win. The next day, he scored a career-high 72 points. He made 13 three-pointers in that game. This was one of the highest scores in California high school history. In December, he scored 65 points in another tournament win. In January 2017, Ball scored 60 points in one game and 52 points in another.

His team lost in the section semifinals. After a 30–3 season, he was named All-Area Player of the Year by local newspapers. He was also a first-team All-State player. As a senior, he averaged 33.8 points per game. This made him the leading scorer in California.

College Basketball Experience

Ball practicing with UCLA at Venice Beach in 2017

LiAngelo Ball was considered a three-star recruit. He had committed to play for the UCLA Bruins when he was a high school sophomore. He officially signed with UCLA on November 2, 2016. He started at the University of California, Los Angeles on June 1, 2017. He was expected to be a reserve player for UCLA in his freshman season. He played one preseason game on November 1, 2017, scoring 11 points.

Incident and Departure from UCLA

On November 7, 2017, before UCLA's first regular season game in China, LiAngelo and two teammates were involved in an incident. They were accused of taking sunglasses from a store. They were soon released. LiAngelo was suspended from the UCLA basketball program after this.

On December 4, he announced he would leave UCLA. His father was unhappy with how long the suspension lasted. If he had stayed, he would have been suspended for the rest of the season.

Professional Basketball Career

After leaving UCLA, LiAngelo planned to prepare for the 2018 NBA Draft.

Playing in Lithuania: Prienai (2018)

On December 11, 2017, LiAngelo signed with Prienai in the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL). His younger brother LaMelo also joined him. Their move to Lithuania was widely reported by sports news. Prienai stopped playing in another league when they arrived. They played in exhibition games sponsored by the Ball family's company, Big Baller Brand.

Ball (left) with his father LaVar and brother LaMelo after an exhibition game in 2018

In his first professional game on January 13, 2018, Ball did not score. On February 11, he started his first game and scored 13 points. On March 25, Ball scored a season-high 28 points. He made six three-pointers in that game. On March 27, 2018, he announced he would enter the 2018 NBA draft. Most experts thought he was unlikely to be drafted.

On April 19, Ball injured his ankle. On April 25, he left Prienai with his family. His father was critical of the team's coach. He finished the LKL season averaging 12.6 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. He shot 41.5% from the three-point line. LiAngelo was not selected in the 2018 NBA draft.

Junior Basketball Association: Los Angeles Ballers (2018)

On July 9, 2018, Ball signed with the Los Angeles Ballers. This team was part of the Junior Basketball Association (JBA). His father founded this league as an alternative to college basketball. He joined the team in the middle of the season. In his debut on July 14, he scored 53 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and had 10 assists.

Ball was chosen for the JBA All-Star Game. He was named co-MVP of the game after scoring 39 points. In his first playoff game, he scored a season-high 58 points. On August 12, Ball scored 58 points again. He also had 11 rebounds and 6 assists in a Finals victory. He was named Finals MVP. After the season, Ball was one of 14 players chosen for the JBA USA select Team. This team played against European teams on an international tour.

NBA G League: Greensboro Swarm (2021–2023)

In July 2019, Ball had surgery for an ankle injury. He missed the NBA Summer League. On December 29, he signed with the Oklahoma City Blue of the NBA G League as a practice player. On March 9, 2020, he officially signed with the Blue. The team played only one game, which Ball did not play in, before the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On December 2, 2020, Ball signed a training camp contract with the Detroit Pistons. He was waived on December 13 without playing in a preseason game.

In the summer of 2021, Ball was invited to work out with his brother LaMelo's team, the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets staff were impressed with Ball. He earned a spot on their Summer League team. In his Summer League debut, he made five three-pointers in 16 minutes. On October 14, 2021, Ball signed with the Hornets but was waived the next day.

On October 23, 2021, Ball was picked by the Greensboro Swarm in the 2021 NBA G League draft. He scored 22 points in his G League debut.

Ball joined the Charlotte Hornets for the 2022 NBA Summer League. On September 26, 2022, Ball signed a contract with the Hornets. He was waived on October 15, 2022. On October 23, 2022, Ball rejoined the Greensboro Swarm roster for training camp.

Playing in Mexico: Astros de Jalisco (2024)

On February 14, 2024, it was announced that Ball had signed with the Astros de Jalisco in Mexico. He played his first game on March 1, 2024. After playing only two games, Ball left the team. He had a ligament injury in his left ankle and chose to recover in the United States.

Basketball Career Statistics

NBA G League

Showcase Cup

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

Regular Season

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

LKL (Lithuania)

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

CIBACOPA (Mexico)

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

JBA (Junior Basketball Association)

Regular Season

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		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

Personal Life

LiAngelo Ball has two famous brothers who also play basketball. His older brother, Lonzo, is a point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Lonzo was the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. His younger brother, LaMelo, is a point guard for the Charlotte Hornets. LaMelo was drafted third overall in the 2020 NBA Draft. His cousin, Andre Ball, played college basketball for Pepperdine.

In April 2023, LiAngelo and Nikki Mudarris announced they were expecting a child. Their son, LaVelo Anthony Ball, was born on July 19, 2023. In December 2024, they welcomed a baby girl, LaNiyah Nicole Ball.