LaVar Ball plans pro league for high school grads who don’t want college
LaVar Ball is planning to launch the Junior Basketball Association next year for top high school basketball players who don’t want to play in college.
The league, reports ESPN’s Darren Rovell, will address the “1 and Done” rule set up by the NBA that forces top high school prospects to be out of high school for one year before entering the NBA draft. For most of the top high school players, that means one year of play in college.
In Ball’s league, players will be paid from $3,000 per month to $10,000 per month. Ball wants 80 players for 10 teams that he hopes to play at NBA arenas in Los Angeles, Dallas, Brooklyn and Atlanta.
The league’s logo is a silhouette of Ball’s son, Lonzo, the Los Angeles Lakers’ point guard. The league will follow NBA rules, with 12-minute quarters and the professional 3-point line. It will be funded by Ball’s Big Baller Brand shoe company. Ball’s younger sons -- LiAngelo and LaMelo -- won’t play, as they have signed with a Lithuanian pro team.
"Getting these players is going to be easy," Ball told ESPN. "This is giving guys a chance to get a jump start on their career, to be seen by pro scouts, and we're going to pay them because someone has to pay these kids."
Logo of LaVar Ball’s league aimed at top high school players is a silhouette of Lonzo ready to dunk. pic.twitter.com/hBf9WHBdJG
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) December 20, 2017
BREAKING: LaVar Ball Launches League That Will Pay Top HS Prospects Up to $10K Per Month & Serve As An Alternative to College pic.twitter.com/EpKfkPrSas
— Big Baller Brand (@bigballerbrand) December 20, 2017
Reaction to Ball’s announcement
As usual, it’s always fun to check social media for hot takes on Ball. Here’s what folks were saying about his proposed league.
Lavar Ball is a boss. #IDGAF
— JD (@JDrew03) December 20, 2017
Lavar ball idea I think is genius ‼️
— Najeal Young (@414_MrBuckets) December 20, 2017
Lavar Ball has a real game changer idea! I'm here for it. Extortion of college athletes has gone on too long
— Elijah Jeffrey (@Jon_Marc) December 20, 2017
The problem with College ball is - they don't pay the players and they deserve a part of all that money that goes into their college sport. Lavar's giving them an option which is fine. But again, they are kids - if all they have is ball, then what happens when they don't have it?
— HungryScribbler (@HungryScribbler) December 20, 2017
Markelle Fultz played at a mediocre program for a bad team and a lousy head coach last year at Washington. Went No. 1. He's a great example of someone I'd be fascinated to learn whether he'd do that again, or take $10K to play in LaVar Ball's Big Baller Brand League. #NBA #Sixers
— Adam Kaufman (@AdamMKaufman) December 20, 2017
This story was originally published December 20, 2017 at 2:51 PM with the headline "LaVar Ball plans pro league for high school grads who don’t want college."