It is no doubt that every year, new, fresh talent jumps into the spotlight & fame of being an NBA draft. For many, that draft day changed their lives. But for others, some were born in the spotlight. Meet LaMelo Ball...

On Augst 22, 2001, LaMelo LaFrance Ball was born. At the age of four, he was playing basketball with his older brothers, Lonzo and LiAngelo From there, their father Lavar Ball saw the potential and their fate was sealed. From a young age LaMelo was a social media sensation; especially after his 92 point game in February 2017 for his school Chino Hills in a match against Los Osos. Not only was it an all-time second-best record performance by any player in the history of California High School Basketball Championships, but earned him huge media attention in the country. From here it was only up.

As a freshman, LaMelo attended Chino hills where he played alongside his two older brothers Lonzo and Liangelo. With the help of Melo. Chino Hills finished the season with a 35-0 record and LaMelo was named MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year. As a Sophomore, LaMelo continued at Chino Hills where he made national headlines for making a half-court shot two seconds into a game. Plus on July 27, he featured in an AAU game against five-star recruit Zion Williamson that drew the attention of national sports media. AS a senior, having skipped a junior year, he played in Lithuania, his father's Basketball Association (JBA) and finally SPIRE. At Spire he was able to compete outside the jurisdiction of the Ohio High School Atheltic association, so he could play without concerns over his amateur status. It turned out that its time, a number of prominent high school teams cancelled their matches with Spires due to LaMelo's professional experience.

When it came to recruiting, LaMelo verbally committed to play college basketball for UCLA at 13, where his other brothers also attended. However, on August 31 2017, Big Baller Brand, a sports apparel brand launched by Ball's family, released a signature shoe for Lamelo called the Melo Ball 1. This caused a stir in the college basketball world and threatened LaMelo's eligibility under the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Following this, Lavar Ball thought it may be best for his son to skip college for that reason. LaMelo's signing of an agent and his professional experience did not help his cause either. 

Finally, after all of that, the guard Lamelo Ball was drafted by the Hornets with the No.3 overall pick. At 19, he head for the NBA after spending the 2019-2020 season with the Illawarra Hawks in the NBL Australia league.No in the NBA, LaMelo seems built for what he's doing already for the Hornets: Playing entertaining basketball, showing unteachable court sense and proving all his haters wrong. Aside from the Los Angeles Lakers, there might be only five or six teams that attract more curiosity than the Hornets now. There is no doubt that this is mainly because of LaMelo, who's averaging roughly 16 points, six rebounds and six assists in just 28.7 minutes per games. Micheal Jordan, the team owner mentioned how LaMelo " has exceeded our expectations" and is thrilled for what is to come. Finally, on 9 Jan 2021, LaMelo became the youngest ever player to get a triple-double. This history-making performance sent shocks through the basketball world and it is almost certain that LaMelo will continue to break expectations till he reaches the top 

"I live my life and I know what I'm capable of, so stuff like this doesn't move me like that," Ball said. " I know that's supposed to happen."