LaMelo Ball, the youngest of LaVar Ball’s basketball-playing sons, appears to be the best of the bunch. Despite his unorthodox path to the NBA, there has been growing belief that the 18-year-old guard could be on his way to becoming a potential No. 1 overall pick in the draft.
Ball’s strange journey began when he was pulled out of Chino Hills High School by his father before shipping off to Lithuania to turn pro. Eventually, LaMelo returned stateside to finish his high school career at Spire Academy in Ohio.
Now, Ball is ready to begin his stint in Australia’s National Basketball League for the Illawarra Hawks.
As he prepares for his final season before entering the draft, LaMelo has caught the attention of the biggest shoe brand, Nike. According to a report from TMZ Sports, Nike is “actively scouting” LaMelo for a shoe deal. Ball has been wearing Nike since heading to Australia while the future of the family’s Big Baller Brand remains up in the air.
The report states:
Our Nike sources tell us … the company is actively scouting the youngest Ball brother and even has a scout in Australia monitoring him as plays pro ball overseas. We’re told Nike has not made a formal offer at this point, but the interest is real — and we’re guessing the fact Melo has been rocking Nike shoes lately is a good sign for the Swoosh.
Of course, if Big Baller Brand does relaunch after its initial demise, LaMelo could feel compelled to stay with his family’s brand. BBB suffered a serious setback after it was revealed that co-founder Alan Foster stole millions of dollars from the company. But whatever the future holds for Big Baller Brand, the future for LaMelo is bright.
The revelation comes in ESPN’s latest NBA mock draft. Currently projected as the No. 3 overall pick, LaMelo has jumped more than 20 spots towards the top of the first round.
