LaMelo Ball is named NBA Rookie of the Year.
The 2020-21 regular basketball season concluded with Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball winning the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy as the NBA Rookie of the Year. This achievement marked the third time in franchise history that a Charlotte Hornets player has won the award. The others were Larry Johnson in 1991-92 and Emeka Okafor in 2004-05. Ball edged out #1 Draft pick Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
LaMelo has followed in the footsteps of brother Lonzo, who was the second overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2017. LaMelo and Lonzo made NBA history by being the first set of brothers to be top-3 draft picks.
LaMelo finished his rookie season averaging 15.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.6 steals in 51 games (31 starts). Unfortunately, LaMelo could not play the entire season, fracturing his right wrist on March 20, but he did return over a month later and finished the season strong.
LaMelo’s well-rounded game put him in elite company by becoming the 7th rookie in league history to average at least 15 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1.5 steals in a season. In addition, Ball became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double when he scored 22 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and dished out 11 assists against the Atlanta Hawks on January 9.
Big Baller Brand
Born on August 22, 2001, in Chino Hills, California, LaMelo is the son of flamboyant LaVar Ball, the co-founder and CEO of Big Baller Brand, and the founder of the Junior Basketball Association (JBA).
Has LaMelo’s NBA success come as a surprise? No! He verbally committed to play basketball for UCLA at age 13 but never played college ball. After dominating the opposition at Chino Hills High School, LaMelo moved to Lithuania to play pro basketball, becoming the youngest American to sign a pro basketball contract. Soon thereafter, he signed a contract with the Los Angeles Ballers of the JBA, where he averaged close to 40-points, had triple-doubles over eight regular-season games, and was promoted as the league’s marquee player.
Then, in a move that surprised many, LaMelo left the JBA and returned to high school, playing for SPIRE Academy. After that stint, he went overseas again, this time to play for the Illawarra Hawks of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). LaMelo was named the league’s top rookie by averaging 17 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.8 assists in 12 games.
LaMelo’s cage successes attracted NBA scouts. He became a top-5 prospect and, eventually, was picked 3rd overall in the 2020 Draft.
The argument goes that LaMelo has a higher ceiling than brother Lonzo. We’ll see if that assessment becomes reality. In the meantime, there is something we know for sure: ‘Big Baller’ is more than a brand. It’s a person, too. Let’s make that ‘people’ by throwing Lonzo in the mix.
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