Lonzo Ball

Early life

Ball was born in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in Anaheim, California, to Lavar and Tina Ball, who were both former college basketball players. The 6-foot-6-inch (1.98 m) Lavar played at Washington State before transferring to Cal State Los Angeles, where the 6-foot (1.8 m) Tina was also playing. A two-sport star, Lavar also played American football professionally for the London Monarchs in the World League of American Football.

Ball started playing basketball when he was two. He grew up with his younger brothers, LiAngelo and LaMelo. Until they reached high school, the trio played together on teams coached by their father. Ball attended high school at Chino Hills High School in Chino Hills, California. As a junior in 2014–15, he averaged 25 points, 11 rebounds, 9.1 assists, 5 blocks and 5 steals. In his senior year, he led the school to a 35–0 record and a state title, and the Huskies were ranked the consensus No. 1 team in the nation. His younger brothers, junior LiAngelo and freshman LaMelo, were also on the team. Ball averaged a triple-double with averages of 23.9 points, 11.3 rebounds and 11.7 assists per game. He received national honors including the Naismith Prep Player of the Year, Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year, USA Today Boys Basketball Player of the Year, and Mr. Basketball USA.

College career

Ball was rated a consensus five-star recruit by the major scouting services, and the number one point guard. In November 2015, he signed a National Letter of Intent to attend the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and play for the Bruins. As a freshman in 2016–17, he was one of 50 players named to the preseason watch list for the John R. Wooden Award, given annually to the top college player in the nation. Ball's vision and passing skills led UCLA's rise up the national rankings. In his first collegiate game against Pacific, he had 19 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds. Later in the year, he was named the MVP of the Wooden Legacy tournament, after he led UCLA to a win over Texas A&M in the championship game. Ball remained on the Wooden Award list in midseason, when he was also joined by freshman teammate T. J. Leaf, as UCLA was one of just five schools with two candidates on the list.

In a 107–66 blowout win against Washington, Ball had 22 points, six rebounds and five assists. With close to two dozen NBA executives in attendance, the game matched Ball against the Huskies' Markelle Fultz, who were among the nation's top point guards and projected to be among the top picks in the 2017 NBA draft. Fultz scored 25 points in an even matchup between the two freshman. Ball was one of a trio of Pac-12 freshman (including Fultz and Arizona's Lauri Markkanen) who were among the 15 nominees on the final ballot for the Wooden Award. He was also one of 10 semifinalists for the Naismith College Player of the Year. In the Bruins' regular season finale, Ball had a career-high 14 assists in a 77–68 win over Washington State, when he also broke Gary Payton's 30-year-old Pac-12 season record for assists by a freshman. He was named a first-team All-American by the Sporting News. He was also voted Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, and was named first-team All-Pac-12 along with teammates Leaf and Bryce Alford.

Accomplishments and awards

Personal life

Ball's two brothers, LiAngelo and LaMelo, have also verbally committed to playing for UCLA in the future.