LaMelo Ball was FORCED to stay in high school by NBA and not play professionally overseas, reveals father LaVar

Charlotte Hornets' star LaMelo Ball almost got denied in the NBA for non-traditional path almost blocked his league entry.

LaMelo Ball was FORCED to stay in high school by NBA and not play professionally overseas, reveals father LaVar

LaMelo Ball and LaVar Ball.(Credit-Basketball forever)

LaVar Ball, the outspoken father of LaMelo Ball, disclosed a shocking revelation about the hurdles his son faced on his path to the NBA. According to LaVar, the NBA threatened not to draft LaMelo if he opted for a non-traditional route, compelling him to stay in high school rather than play professionally overseas.

Despite this setback, LaMelo’s journey to becoming the backbone of the Charlotte Hornets has been quite exceptional. Originating as a high school star in Chino Hills, he embarked on overseas ventures to Lithuania and later played professionally in Australia in the NBL.

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“Let me tell you the narrative on Melo. This is probably not even out before…The narrative is, ‘We not gonna pick Melo in the NBA if you got him out of high school, LaVar.’ Then the narrative looks like, okay, he was a dropout, and we drafted him? We ain’t drafting no dropouts” LaVar explained more about the matter in his recent interview with VladTV.

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LaVar’s recent revelations shed light on the complexities of LaMelo’s pre-NBA years, showcasing the challenges and restrictions placed on players aiming for a different route to the league. Lamelo is now a talisman of the Hornets. LaMelo has played 3 seasons for the Hornets in which he has averaged 19.4 points, 7.3 assists and 6.4 rebounds in 162 regular-season games. He was selected to play in 1 All-Star game and has won the Rookie of the Year award ever since he was drafted into the league.

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Hornets’ star LaMelo Ball will sport ankle braces in the upcoming season

Charlotte Hornets’ star point guard LaMelo Ball has made a significant decision for the upcoming season by choosing to wear ankle braces, a revelation he made during the team’s media day.

This precautionary move follows a setback in the previous season when LaMelo suffered a fractured ankle in late February, limiting him to just 36 games, the fewest in his career.

LaMelo Ball.(Credit-Swarm and Sting)

The Hornets expect him to be fully healthy and fit all throughout this coming season, although Ball said he is still working his way back into shape.“I’m trying to push myself to get over that hump and keep on conditioning and stuff like that,” Ball said. “I’m still trying to get there.”

The Hornets heavily rely on Ball’s presence on the court, which is pretty evident from their struggles with a 13-23 record when he played and a 14-32 record in his absence. As the Hornets aim to recover from their disappointing 27-55 record, Ball’s decision to wear ankle braces highlights the team’s dedication and desire to maintain his availability.

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