LaMelo Ball

 

LaMelo LaFrance Ball (born August 22, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Standing 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m) and weighing 180 pounds (82 kg), Ball plays as a point guard. 

 

He was selected by the Hornets with the third overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft and was voted the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2021. Ball was named to his first NBA All-Star Game in 2022 at age 20, becoming the fourth-youngest All-Star in NBA history. He is the younger brother of former NBA guard Lonzo Ball and rapper LiAngelo Ball, and the son of media personality LaVar Ball.

 

Early Life 

Family

 

Ball was born on August 22, 2001, in Anaheim, California, to LaVar and Tina Ball. His father LaVar played college basketball at Washington State before becoming a personal trainer and later a media personality. His mother Tina played college basketball at Cal State Los Angeles. Ball grew up in Chino Hills, California, alongside his older brothers Lonzo and LiAngelo. He and his brother Lonzo became the first set of brothers to both be drafted in the top three of the NBA Draft, Lonzo was selected second overall in 2017, and LaMelo third overall in 2020.

 

High School Career

 

Ball attended Chino Hills High School in California, where he gained national attention as a freshman playing alongside his brothers. During his freshman year in 2015-16, he helped lead Chino Hills to a 35-0 record and the California state championship. Ball attracted media coverage for his long-range shooting and flashy passing style. As a sophomore, he averaged 27.4 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game.

 

Before his junior season, a coaching dispute prompted Ball and his brothers to leave Chino Hills. In January 2018, at age 16, Ball signed a professional contract with Prienai of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL). He appeared in one game, scoring 10 points in 20 minutes. After leaving Lithuania, Ball participated in the Junior Basketball Association (JBA), a league created by his father, during summer 2018. He averaged 39.6 points, 14.6 rebounds, and 11.5 assists per game, leading his team to the championship.

 

For his senior season, Ball attended SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio, where he averaged 32.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game. Ball was rated as a five-star recruit and committed to UCLA but chose to forgo college basketball amid eligibility concerns.

 

Professional Career in Australia

 

On June 17, 2019, Ball signed a two-year contract with the Illawarra Hawks of Australia’s National Basketball League (NBL) through the NBL Next Stars program, which develops NBA draft prospects. Before playing in the NBL, Ball had been projected as a second-round pick or possibly going undrafted.

 

Ball’s performance in Australia proved transformative for his draft stock. In his first regular-season game on October 6, 2019, he recorded 12 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. On November 30, he became the youngest player in NBL history to record a triple-double with 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists against the Cairns Taipans. He followed with another triple-double the next game (25 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists), becoming the fourth player in NBL history and first since 2005 to record back-to-back triple-doubles.

 

Ball departed the Hawks on January 28, 2020, to prepare for the NBA Draft. Through 12 games, he averaged 17.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.8 assists while shooting 37.7% from the field. He was named NBL Rookie of the Year, defeating Kouat Noi by just five votes (49-44). His success elevated him to a projected top-three pick.

 

NBA Career

Charlotte Hornets (2020-Present) 

Rookie Season (2020-21)

 

The Charlotte Hornets selected Ball third overall on November 18, 2020. He made his NBA debut on December 23, 2020, recording 16 points, three rebounds, and six assists in a loss to Cleveland. On February 6, 2021, Ball recorded 26 points, five rebounds, and nine assists in his third career start. On March 1, he posted 30 points, eight assists, six rebounds, and four steals against Portland.

 

Despite missing 21 games with a wrist injury, Ball finished his rookie season averaging 15.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game. He was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month in each of the first three months (December/January, February, March). Ball was named NBA Rookie of the Year, receiving 84 first-place votes compared to Anthony Edwards’s 15. He joined Larry Johnson (1991-92) and Emeka Okafor (2004-05) as the third Hornets player to win the award. Ball finished with the second-most assists (313) and third-most three-pointers made (92) by a rookie in Hornets history.

 

All-Star Selection and Continued Development (2021-Present)

 

On February 20, 2022, Ball was selected to his first NBA All-Star Game at age 20 years and 182 days, becoming the fourth-youngest All-Star in NBA history. On January 4, 2023, Ball tallied his 1,000th career assist, becoming the fourth-youngest player in NBA history to reach that milestone.

 

On November 23, 2024, Ball scored a career-high 50 points with five rebounds and 10 assists in a 125-119 loss to Milwaukee, becoming the third-youngest player in NBA history to score 50 points. He followed with 44 points the next game against Orlando. However, on January 8, 2026, Ball came off the bench for the first time since his rookie season as part of a lineup change by coach Charles Lee.

 

In the 2024-25 season, Ball averaged 25.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 7.4 assists in 47 starts before undergoing two minor procedures on March 28, 2025, to address ankle and wrist issues, ending his season early. 

 

He became the first player to record a triple-double with 38 points, 13 rebounds, and 13 assists on October 26, 2025, against Washington, his first triple-double since November 5, 2023.

 

Personal Life and Brand

 

Ball has a signature shoe with Big Baller Brand, his father’s company, and appeared on the family’s Facebook Watch reality show “Ball in the Family.” He is active on social media under the handle “melo.” In October 2025, Ball was fined $100,000 by the NBA for using an anti-gay slur during a postgame interview, and was required to participate in sensitivity training.

 

References

 

External Links

* LaMelo Ball on NBA.com

* LaMelo Ball on Basketball-Reference.com