NEW YORK (AFP) – LaMelo Ball, rated among the top US high school prospects and the brother of NBA guard Lonzo Ball, has signed with the Illawarra Hawks of Australia’s National Basketball League.
The 17-year-old prep standout announced his decision on ESPN with the NBL confirming the move in a website posting.
Ball played in Lithuania in 2018, likely ending his eligibility for US college basketball, and he is not eligible for the NBA until one year after his high school class graduates.
Lonzo Ball played for the Los Angeles Lakers the past two seasons after they made him the number two pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, but he is among the players reportedly sent to the New Orleans Pelicans in a trade deal for superstar big man Anthony Davis.
