19-year-old LiAngelo and 16-year-old LaMelo Ball have reportedly signed deals to play professional basketball for Lithuanian club Prienu Vytautas, ending their NCAA eligibility.
We don’t know much about the club, but it was in 1994 and is not considered one of Europe’s heavy hitters.
“There’s not a lot of structure,” ESPN reporter Jeff Goodman said in a tweet, reporting what he heard from players familiar with the Lithuanian team. “The coach goes crazy, yells and screams all the time. … he’s crazy.”
via NY Times:
It is not yet known if the brothers will play in the Lithuanian league, or the less competitive Baltic league, in which Vytautas also competes, but considering their age and lack of experience, the Baltic league seems more likely. LiAngelo will be eligible for next year’s N.B.A. draft, though he is not considered to be anywhere near a strong enough prospect to be considering the draft in his decision-making.
“I don’t care about the money,” LaVar Ball said on Thursday when explaining why his sons had signed with an agent. “I want them to go somewhere where they will play them together on the court at the same time. The priority is for the boys to play on the same team.”
We wish them the best of luck overseas.
