LiAngelo Ball’s NBA Draft experience did not go as he planned, but it wasn’t entirely surprising. The middle Ball brother, who left UCLA before playing in an official game after being arrested for shoplifting in China, went undrafted in the 2018 NBA Draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
That leaves everyone wondering: what is next?
LiAngelo was pulled from UCLA following his arrest and turned pro over in Lithuania. There, he struggled in official league games but was able to excel against lesser competition in the Big Baller Brand challenge. Now, if he wants to make it in the NBA, he’s going to need to catch a lucky break.
Big Baller Brand patriarch LaVar Ball doesn’t seem to think that is out of the question. According to LaVar, the next step for LiAngelo will be to play in the Summer League with hopes of impressing whoever is willing to give him a shot.
“What’s next for him is to play in the Summer League. Like I said, whether you’re drafted or not, you’ve got to produce in the Summer League,” LaVar said. “My boys all want to play in the NBA. And like I said, they’re all going to link up together at some time.”
#Lavar Ball: What's next for #Liangelo since he wasn't drafted tonight? pic.twitter.com/jIN5X5OqM1
— Fred Roggin (@FredNBCLA) June 22, 2018
LaVar has always said that he can speak things into existence, but his dream of having all three sons suit up for the hometown Los Angeles Lakers seems like a pipe dream. The good news for LiAngelo is that he can always suit up for his dad’s Junior Basketball Association, an upstart league which tipped off on draft night, Thursday, June 21.
