The sensational Ball brothers from Chino Hills – a trio of hotshot basketball players who are getting a lot of attention of late, could help UCLA’s Bruins stay atop college basketball for years to come.
The eldest of the Ball brothers is Lonzo Ball, a super freshman who’s led the Bruins to a top 10 ranking this season. Lonzo Ball is likely to be gone after this year – he’ll be one of the top picks in the NBA draft.
But two other Ball brothers are ready to follow in his Westwood footsteps.
LiAngelo Ball is an 18-year-old high school senior, and LaMelo Ball is a 15-year-old sophomore who received national notice earlier this month when he scored 92 points in a high school game. That’s not a misprint, 92.
Los Angeles Times prep sports columnist Eric Sondheimer says it’s unusual for three siblings to be so accomplished in basketball, but it’s not an accident:
“It starts with Lavar Ball. The father was a basketball player at Canoga Park High School. He wasn’t particularly great but he did well and he married a woman who I believe also had some athletic background. They moved to Chino Hills, near Los Angeles, and they produced three boys, three remarkable boys,” Sondheimer says. “The father is like a personal trainer, and he’s tried to develop these kids into great basketball players but also really good students.”
(Photo: James Simonelli)