The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
LaMelo Ball headed to SPIRE Institute
From Los Angeles to Lithuania, the next step in LaMelo Ball’s basketball journey is Geneva, Ohio.
From Los Angeles to Lithuania, the next step in LaMelo Ball’s basketball journey is Geneva, Ohio.
Ball announced on Nov. 6 he will join SPIRE Institute’s prep basketball team through Twitter and a story posted to SLAM Magazine’s website.
“I’m excited to return to school and rejoin my class on the court for my senior year,” Ball told SLAM. “Playing in international competition was a great experience. I learned and matured so much. I appreciated the JBA experience my dad provided for me. I think it helped my development. I can’t wait to play with my peers.”
According to SLAM, Ball is expected to debut with SPIRE next week, Nov. 13, when the team plays La Lumiere in La Porte, Ind. Included in SPIRE’s schedule is a matchup with Oak Hill Academy, which will pit Ball against top recruit Cole Anthony. Anthony, son of former NBA player Greg, is ranked by ESPN as the No. 2 overall player in the Class of 2019.
SPIRE’s basketball team is coached by Jermaine Jackson, who played five years in the NBA.
SPIRE is scheduled to play Brush in Lyndhurst Jan. 15. Ball will only be eligible to compete against other prep programs. Student-athletes who compete at SPIRE attend classes at high schools near the Institute, such as Ashtabula St. John.
Ball joins Michigan State commit Rocket Watts, ranked No. 27 by ESPN in the Class of 2019, on SPIRE’s roster.
Ball committed to UCLA when he was 13. He gained national exposure as his father, LaVar, grew into a media figure while his brother, Lonzo, played at UCLA and prepared for the 2017 NBA Draft.
LaMelo Ball gained fame in his own right with a 92-point game for Chino Hills High School in Feb. 7, 2017. Later that year, Ball was removed from Chino Hills to be homeschooled. In December 2017, he and his brother, LiAngelo, signed with an agent to pursue a professional basketball career.
When Ball left Chino Hills, he was ranked as the No. 7 recruit in the Class of 2019.
The younger Ball brothers signed with BC Vytautas Prienai in Lithuania last winter. LaMelo Ball played eight games with Vytautas and averaged 6.5 points in 12.8 minutes per game. He and his brother left the team in April 2018.
Ball returned to the United States to play in the Junior Basketball Association, a league created by his father as an alternative to college basketball. Ball led the Los Angeles Ballers to the first JBA championship, averaging 40 points, 13.8 rebounds and 11 assists per game during the team’s 11game season.
A 6-foot-7 point guard, the 17-year-old Ball will now continue to prepare for the NBA Draft at SPIRE. He is eligible for the 2020 NBA Draft. According to SLAM, Ball’s reasoning for enrollment at SPIRE is to afford pro scouts the chance to see him compete against other prospects in his age group.
Off the court, Ball is a significant social media presence. He boasts 3.9 million followers on his Instagram page.
A request for comment from SPIRE was not immediately returned.