Ever since LaVar Ball first began speaking to the media, he made it clear what his plan was. Lonzo Ball, LiAngelo Ball, and LaMelo Ball would all play together for the Los Angeles Lakers.
The stars aligned perfectly for step one of that plan as the Lakers landed the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, selecting Lonzo. How LiAngelo and LaMelo could wind up in purple and gold is becoming less clear, however.
LaVar pulled LaMelo out of high school before his junior season to home school him. LiAngelo was suspended indefinitely at UCLA after a shoplifting incident in China and now has subsequently left the program.
There are reports that both are looking at potential options to play overseas, but that has not changed LaVar’s plans. In speaking with Tom Schad of USA Today, the Ball family patriarch reiterated his desires for his sons:
“The grand plan stays the same. All these boys are going to be on the Lakers,” LaVar Ball said. “Watch how I do this. People are going to look up and say, ‘Wow. How did they all get on the Lakers?'”
LaVar’s steadfast belief in his plan, and the talent of his children to make it come to fruition, could be commended. That being said, the likelihood of it happening is slim to none.
LiAngelo is unlikely to get drafted next summer as he is nowhere near the level of prospect of players like Brandon Jennings and Emmanuel Mudiay who went the same path. LaMelo was highly touted, but is still multiple years away from even being draft eligible.
Only Jeremy Tyler skipped high school to play overseas and that was only one year. LaMelo would be skipping two.
Just getting all three sons in the NBA would be an amazing accomplishment for LaVar, especially with the amount of distractions and issues that have already occurred. Getting all three with the Lakers however, seems like something even LaVar can’t ‘speak into existence.’
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