UCLA Basketball: LiAngelo Ball’s opportunity to rise from the shadow of his brothers

The Ball family has become one of the most talked about in sports this year. The stardom of LaVar, Lonzo, and LaMelo leaves LiAngelo Ball in the shadows.

It’s no secret that the Ball family has become one of the internet’s biggest sensations over the last year. The oldest of the three brothers, Lonzo Ball, was been one of the most talked about players in college. Much of his fame and popularity has been spun by his father LaVar Ball. It’s hard to live in 2017 and run into someone who hasn’t heard of LaVar.

The oldest of the three brothers, Lonzo Ball, was been one of the most talked about players in college. Much of his fame and popularity has been spun by his father LaVar Ball. It’s hard to live in 2017 and run into someone who hasn’t heard of LaVar.

LaVar Ball went on virtually every morning sports show on national television, praising his sons for their unique gift for playing basketball. LaVar became the center of sports talk shows around the country because of the statements he was making. He was going viral on social media, claiming that he could beat Michael Jordan in a game of 1-on-1. He also claimed that Lonzo was better than Stephen Curry right now. All of these outlandish claims became a viral marketing frenzy for the Ball family.

The youngest of the three, LaMelo Ball, is 15-years-old and already one of the top prospects in the class of 2019. According to 247Sports, he is ranked as the No. 14 prospect in the country and the second best at his position. Plenty sports fans remember the game he dropped 92 points in earlier in 2017. The highlights of the game went viral and soon became as relevant as his older brother. He even appeared on WWE’s Monday Night Raw with Lonzo and LaVar just recently to promote their basketball brand, Big Baller Brand.

LaVar Ball was headlining every blog on social media and Lonzo was becoming the face of young potential NBA stars, elevating their stardom virtually overnight. Even LaMelo Ball has become a presence of his own as the future of their Big Baller Brand. The question that has become all too evident with their fame is where 18-year-old LiAngelo Ball fits into all of this.

Similar to his older brother Lonzo, he will be playing at UCLA under head coach Steve Alford this season. Unlike his brother though, LiAngelo is only a three-star recruit. This falls just out of the top-250 prospects according to 247Sports (No. 265).

Lonzo entered UCLA as the No. 3 player in the nation and the No. 1 point guard in 2016. The curiosity is how he handles entering his freshman year on the heels of his brother’s success.

On the court, LiAngelo has been the least talked about in the family and might have the most to prove. The attention and spotlight seem to shine brightest on Lonzo, LaVar, and LaMelo with LiAngelo being left overshadowed. LaVar Ball was even quoted saying that he “does not believe that LiAngelo will make the NBA.” Those harsh words could provide the opportunity for LiAngelo to develop at UCLA and prove his father wrong.

In his final season at Chino Hills High School, LiAngelo averaged 27.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. His pure scoring ability is going to be something he should lean on in his freshman year. He is a three-point threat but will need to improve on the defensive side to become an elite part of UCLA’s plan.

Whether or not LiAngelo develops the proven skills to be a potential NBA Draft pick will remain to be seen. The interesting dynamic becomes his role in the Big Baller Brand and overall success of the family. How will the stardom of his brothers and father play out on the court at UCLA? LaVar believes that LiAngelo is the least likely to make the NBA, and it should be the ultimate motivator for LiAngelo this season.

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It’s a weird dynamic that Lonzo, LaVar, and LaMelo have become the faces of the family brand. LaVar hardly mentions LiAngelo in conversations, and most of the attention relies solely on Lonzo. LaMelo might only be 15 but he is receiving more credibility than his older brother LiAngelo. All of this overshadowing could very well create the ultimate opportunity for LiAngelo to thrive. Not having to deal with the consistency of media like Lonzo or LaVar, his opportunity will come by developing his game at UCLA.