BEFORE THE NBA
LaMelo Ball
LaMelo LaFrance Ball was born Aug. 22, 2001 in Chino Hills, California. His parents, LaVar and Tina Ball, both played college basketball.
LaMelo's brother, Lonzo Ball, plays point guard for the Chicago Bulls, while his other brother, LiAngelo has played professionally.
As LaMelo’s skill on the court as a young teen expanded, so did his profile. ESPN100 had him ranked the 13th best prospect in his class.
He averaged 24.6 PPG at Chino Hills High School. In 2017, LaMelo scored 92 points in a win over Los Osos High School.
His father, known for his bragadocious style and entrepreneurial approach as an advocate for his sons, had LaMelo promoting the Big Baller Brand, which went against NCAA amateurism guidelines. This made him ineligible to play for any college at the time.
LaMelo passed on college and decided to play basketball overseas instead.
LaMelo began playing professionally in 2017-18 for a Lithuanian team. He played in eight games, averaging almost seven points, a little over two assists and one rebound in almost 13 minutes. His best performance with the team was against Zalgiris, where Ball recorded 19 points (6-11 FG, 4-7 3Pt, 3-4 FT), six assists and one steal in 28 minutes.
LaMelo then signed with an Australian team in the NBL. There, he started in 13 games where he averaged 17 PTS, Almost eight rebounds, and nearly seven assists in 31 minutes. His best performance was in a win over Cairns, where Ball posted 32 points (11-20 FG, 4-7 3Pt, 6-8 FT), 13 assists, 11 rebounds and one steal in 40 minutes.
In 2020, LaMelo Ball was selected by the Charlotte Hornets in the first round with the third pick.
Now let's look at the other side of the NBA player comparison for LaMelo Ball.
Jason Williams
Jason Williams was born on November 18th, 1975 in the small town of Belle, West Virginia.
In high school, Jason Williams starred for the DuPont Panthers, where he became the only player in school history to reach 1,000 points and 500 assists. USA Today named Williams the West Virginia Player of the Year in 1994.
After his high school graduation, he attended Marshall University and then transferred to the University of Florida. At Marshall, he averaged 13 points, three and a half rebounds, and almost seven assists. At Florida, Jason Williams averaged 17 points, three boards, and almost seven assists.
In 1996, he played in the All Southern Tournament and made the Southern All Freshman Team.
He did have a few hiccups in his college career, like when he had to sit out the 1995-1996 season because of the student transfer rule. He also missed time due to a suspension for cannabis use during the second half of the 1997 season.
In 1998, Jason Williams entered the NBA Draft and was selected by the Sacramento Kings with the seventh overall pick in the first round.
NBA STATS AND ACCOLADES
What does Basketball Reference say?
What does Land of Basketball say?
What does StatMuse say about LaMelo Ball and Jason Williams?
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