Lithuania is about to say goodbye to the traveling road show that is the Ball family.
LaVar Ball announced Wednesday his sons, LiAngelo Ball and LaMelo Ball, will end their stints with BC Prienai ahead of schedule. Ball told Lithuanian journalist Donatas Urbonas he’s pulling his sons from the club because head coach Virginijus Seskus isn’t offering LaMelo, 16, as much playing time as he’d like and LiAngelo must recover from an ankle injury and prepare for the NBA Draft.
LiAngelo and LaMelo Ball joined Prienai in December on reported 1-year contracts. The Lithuanian league campaign will end May 9, but the Ball brothers will leave 10 days earlier than expected.
Ball reality show comes to an end. BC Vytautas confirmed that Ball brothers are set to leave Lithuania next week, with two LKL regular season games left to play. BC Vytautas still will be fighting to avoid relegation.
— Donatas Urbonas (@Urbodo) April 25, 2018
"We're not going to waste our time no more", LaVar told. LiAngelo injured his ankle, LaMelo didn't get any playing time, so LaVar decided to take all his sons back to LA. Lonzo is visiting his family in Prienai right now. They're set to leave Sunday-Monday.
— Donatas Urbonas (@Urbodo) April 25, 2018
LaVar added that they had to shut down Gelo for the season in order to prepare better for NBA draft combine, pre-draft camps and so on. But he was mad that Melo didn’t get any playing time in the end of the season
— Donatas Urbonas (@Urbodo) April 25, 2018
LaVar Ball told he was happy with the Lithuania, its people and BC Vytautas organization: “I just didn’t get along with the coach”
— Donatas Urbonas (@Urbodo) April 25, 2018
Lonzo Ball on what are the chances for LaMelo to play in Lithuania next season: “We’ll see. He is still so young”
— Donatas Urbonas (@Urbodo) April 25, 2018
LaVar Ball confirmed LaMelo is not going back to Prienai next season: “You really ask me this? Coach ruined everything and he’ll have to pay the price that Melo is not coming back.”
— Donatas Urbonas (@Urbodo) April 25, 2018
LiAngelo Ball played 14 Lithuanian league games for Prienai, scoring 12.6 points per game, according to Bleacher Report’s Adam Wells. LaMelo Ball played in eight league games, averaging just 6.5 points and 2.4 assists in 12.4 minutes per game.
The Ball brothers’ respective basketball futures will be a hot topic in the coming months. LiAngelo hopes to join his older brother Lonzo in the NBA but isn’t a lock to be selected on Draft Day. LaMelo likely will sign with another professional team, where he undoubtedly hopes he’ll continue developing until he’s ready to begin his own NBA journey.
