BIO: Ball began high school at Chino Hills High School in California, where he won a state championship and achieved national success as a freshman with his older brothers Lonzo, now a NBA guard, and LiAngelo.

Before his junior season, a coaching dispute prompted him to leave Chino Hills and sign with Lithuanian professional team Prienai.

In 2018, he played in the Junior Basketball Association (JBA), a league created by his father, before returning to high school as a senior with SPIRE Institute in Ohio.

In 2018 he also played for Prienu Vytautas in Lithuania with his younger brother LiAngelo. Older brother Lonzo plays for the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans and when LaMelo was drafted, the two brothers became the first to both be drafted in the top 3 of the NBA draft

NBL EXPERIENCE

LaMelo Ball made his NBL debut with the Illawarra Hawks at 18 years of age. He scored 19 points in his first game.

After finishing seventh with a 12-16 record and missing the playoffs the previous season, Illawarra entered its first year under head coach Matt Flinn with significant changes to the roster. Kevin White (to Adelaide), Brian Conklin, Jordair Jett and Cedric Jackson departed, while former NBA guard Aaron Brooks, Josh Boone (via Melbourne), Sunday Dech (via Perth), Sam Froling and highly-rated Next Star LaMelo Ball were added. Alongside returning players Todd Blanchfield and AJ Ogilvy, the additions of Brooks, Boone and one of the world’s most highly-rated young prospects created significant expectations around the Hawks.

The 17-year-old agreed to a two-year Next Stars deal with NBA out clauses and announced his decision to join Illawarra live on ESPN’s The Jump on June 17, 2019. He became the second high-profile American high school prospect to join the Next Stars program after RJ Hampton signed with New Zealand and arrived in Australia looking to use the NBL season to improve his chances of becoming the first selection in the 2020 NBA Draft. His first regular-season appearance came just over a month after his 18th birthday.

Illawarra opened the season at home against Brisbane on October 6, where LaMelo (12 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block) started and played 32 minutes in a 90-81 loss. Brooks (23 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists) and AJ Ogilvy (13 points and 5 rebounds) led the Hawks offensively, while Lamar Patterson (25 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) was Brisbane’s best. More than one million people in the United States watched the game on Facebook, making it the most-watched NBL game at the time and immediately demonstrating the worldwide interest his arrival had generated.

Ball (17 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 1.7 steals across 12 games) started every game he played and averaged more than 31 minutes as he quickly became the centrepiece of Illawarra’s offence. Blanchfield became a mentor to the young guard as he adjusted to professional basketball, with the pair forming a strong bond off the court and Blanchfield regularly defending him publicly amid the enormous attention surrounding his arrival. Together, Ball and Blanchfield formed the Hawks’ main offensive one-two punch during the games Ball was available.

The interest peaked on October 24 when Illawarra travelled to New Zealand for Ball’s first meeting with fellow Next Star Hampton. Ball (10 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) was unable to prevent a 103-72 loss, with Brooks (19 points) and David Andersen (11 points and 5 rebounds) providing support while Sek Henry (21 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals) led New Zealand. The game attracted 1.9 million views globally on Facebook, surpassing the one million views for Ball’s season opener to become the most-watched game in NBL history at the time.

Three days later Illawarra suffered a major setback against Perth when Brooks tore his Achilles and was lost for the remainder of the season, ultimately ending his playing career. Ball (16 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists) carried a larger load after Brooks went down but the Hawks fell 81-76, with Bryce Cotton (21 points) leading Perth. Brooks (17.9 points, 3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists across 7 games) had been Illawarra’s leading scorer, an experienced leader in the backcourt and an important mentor for Ball, with his absence thrusting the teenager into a central role much earlier than originally planned.

Ball delivered one of his best games on November 9 in Cairns, making five three-pointers and finishing with 24 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals as Illawarra defeated the Taipans 101-91. Dech (21 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Andersen (17 points and 8 rebounds) provided support, while Mirko Djeric (19 points and 5 rebounds) led Cairns.

A week later a then-NBL record crowd of 17,514 attended Qudos Bank Arena to watch Ball and the Hawks face Sydney. Ball (16 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists) helped Illawarra push the league-leading Kings before falling 92-87, with Blanchfield (22 points and 6 rebounds) and Dech (14 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals) also contributing while Jae’Sean Tate (24 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals) led Sydney. The crowd remained an NBL record until 2023 and demonstrated the impact Ball’s presence was having despite the Hawks’ ongoing financial challenges.

Ball’s best game of the season came at home against Cairns on November 25, where he made 11-of-20 shots and four three-pointers to finish with 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists. He hit a three-pointer to force overtime before Illawarra pulled away for a 114-106 victory, with Tim Coenraad (27 points) and Dech (15 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists) providing support while DJ Newbill (27 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals) led Cairns. The performance made Ball the youngest player in NBL history to record a triple-double, a record later broken by Josh Giddey.

Five days later Ball (25 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists) produced another triple-double against New Zealand, despite Illawarra falling 91-79. Andersen (15 points) and Dech (11 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals) provided support, while Henry (25 points and 3 steals) led the Breakers. Ball became the first NBL player since Daren Rowe in 1990 to record triple-doubles in consecutive games, but it proved to be his final appearance for Illawarra.

On December 8, before Ball could play another game, it was announced he would miss approximately four weeks after bruising his foot in practice. Illawarra had already spent more than a month searching for a replacement for Brooks, with pressure mounting to add another import and reduce the workload being placed on Ball. Former Milwaukee Bucks draftee Darington Hobson (5.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.3 steals across 13 games) was signed as Brooks’ injury replacement in December, although he struggled to make a consistent impact as the Hawks continued to battle for wins.

Ball ultimately missed Illawarra’s final 16 games. Although the foot injury itself had healed by January, the rehabilitation program required before he could return extended beyond the end of the regular season. With four games remaining, he left Illawarra and returned to the United States to continue his rehabilitation and prepare for the NBA Draft, bringing his highly anticipated NBL stint to an early end.

Billy Preston (6.3 points and 4.3 rebounds across 3 games) was also added in December as an injury replacement for Froling. Preston already knew Ball through their high school basketball years and was expected to provide additional depth in Illawarra’s frontcourt, but the two never played together for the Hawks due to Ball’s injury. Preston’s stint lasted only three games before he was released after multiple missed practices.

Dech’s role continued to expand during Ball’s absence, and Illawarra produced one of its biggest upsets of the season on New Year’s Eve when the bottom-placed Hawks defeated league-leading Sydney 85-80. Dech (3 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals) contributed defensively, while Boone (21 points and 9 rebounds), Emmett Naar (16 points, 3 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 steals) and Blanchfield (13 points) led the Hawks and Tate (23 points and 6 rebounds) was Sydney’s best.

With Ball and Brooks unavailable for much of the season, Blanchfield (13.3 points and 3.9 rebounds across 28 games) became Illawarra’s primary scoring option and won the Hawks’ MVP award for the second consecutive season. Dech (9.2 points and 3.7 rebounds across 27 games) developed into a much larger role, while Ogilvy (8.5 points and 6.3 rebounds across 26 games), Boone (8.2 points and 5.8 rebounds across 24 games), Coenraad (8.1 points across 28 games) and Andersen (6.6 points across 16 games) provided experience around the younger roster, with Andersen providing veteran leadership from the bench.

Froling (6 points and 3.4 rebounds across 17 games) showed promising development despite missing 11 games with an ankle injury, while Angus Glover (5.2 points across 27 games) overcame the serious knee injuries which had disrupted the opening years of his career to provide valuable minutes. Naar (5.6 points and 3.6 assists across 25 games) also took on additional responsibility in the backcourt during Ball’s absence.

For all of the worldwide attention Ball brought to Illawarra, it did not translate into team success. The Hawks struggled through injuries, roster instability and financial problems and finished with the league’s worst record at 5-23, losing their final ten games of the season.

Despite his season ending after only 12 games, Ball was named NBL Rookie of the Year and was later recognised by Aussie Hoopla as the best 18-year-old to play in the NBL outside of Andrew Gaze.

“Success is measured in different ways. While we are not happy with our record, we are proud of the progress made and the exposure brought to the club,” Flinn said of the Hawks’ season.

With Ball already back in the United States, Illawarra closed the season against Sydney at Qudos Bank Arena on February 14. Dech (26 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals) and Glover (15 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists) led the Hawks, while Tate (19 points and 5 rebounds) led Sydney to a 98-82 victory as Illawarra finished ninth with a 5-23 record and ten consecutive losses.

LaMelo Ball played one season in the NBL. He averaged 17 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7 assists in 12 NBL games.

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