As of January 2018: the first thing that pops up under a quick Google search of “Ball” is a profile of Lavar Ball. It seems like everyday, one of the Ball family members is making headlines. Throughout the past year, the media has had a lot of fun with the Ball family, from Big Baller Brand to the TV show “Ball in the Family”; the Ball Family has given them a lot of material.

Lavar Ball is most renowned for his bold statements about his family, specifically his sons. Last Thanksgiving, he even had a Twitter feud with President Donald Trump about LiAngelo Ball’s scandal of larceny in China. The feud was ended when LiAngelo Ball thanked Donald Trump for consulting with Chairman Xi Jing Peng, who resolved the situation.

Jaclyn Chen ‘21, shares her opinion on Lavar: “Personally, I think Lavar Ball is a great businessman. He is really able to gain a lot of attention through social media and branch out to his shoe business and his TV show.”

Lonzo Ball, Los Angeles Lakers icon, was one of the most hyped NBA Draft Picks of 2017. However, his NBA performance has not lived up to the hype. Lonzo Ball has shot 34.4% from the paint, which is currently the worst in NBA. In addition, he has shot 25% outside the paint, which is the second worst of the entire NBA. His hype has mostly came from his social media platforms, and his fathers’ outlandish opinions on his ability, including the famous quote “my son is better than Steph Curry”.

Patrick Feng ‘20, shares his opinion on Lonzo Ball: “I really think that Lonzo Ball is over-hyped, his stats don’t come close to making him one of the greatest of all time.Though his defensive abilities are promising, his inadequate shooting abilities do not make him better than Steph Curry.”

Lamelo Ball, the youngest brother in the family, has been taken out of Chino Hills High School to play with his older brother LiAngelo Ball, who has left UCLA due to complications with his scandal in China involving burglary, to to play professional basketball overseas in Lithuania. The brothers have started well; on January 23, Lithuania faced off against Alytaus Dzūkija, and the brothers led Lithuania to a win, combining for over 80 points and 17 rebounds.  Lamelo scored 10 3-point shots, finishing with a grand total of over 40 points. Lithuania has definitely given the Ball Brothers a chance to showcase their talent, and they have certainly been living up to the hype. Lavar Ball still has plans for both of his sons to make it to the NBA in the future, and Lithuania is only a start for them.

Two-thousand-seventeen has definitely been the Ball family’s year. Lonzo has made it to the Lakers, the whole family has a new brand and TV show, and Lamelo and LiAngelo Ball have went professional overseas. It will surely be interesting to see what the Ball family makes out of 2018.