The sports dad of the year, LaVar Ball, says he will to start a basketball league for high school graduates. The Lavar Ball basketball league will serve as direct competition to the NCAA and will target players who don’t want to go to college.
The news comes after Ball pulled his son LaMelo, from Chino Hills High School, and later pulled his other son LiAngelo, from UCLA, to play professional basketball in Lithuania for Prienai Birstonas Vytautas. It would appear that his sons would not be part of the Lavar Ball basketball league, instead this venture would be about providing opportunities to those high school graduates who might need money.
The father of three pro basketball players told ESPN his plan for the league he’s calling the Junior Basketball Association. The league will be funded by the Big Baller Brand with salaries to the players ranging between $3,000 to $10,000 depending on the level of skill the player has. LaVar is currently looking for 80 players to fill up 10 teams, which he says is going to be easy. The league will play their games in NBA arenas throughout the country. Ball hopes that this will give these players a chance to get a jump start on their career and be seen by pro scouts.
Ball continued to say that the players will have to wear Big Baller Brand issued gear. The league will also be following NBA guidelines, having 12-minute quarters and an NBA regulation three-point line, unlike the NCAA.
The logo for the Lavar Ball basketball league (the NBA uses a silhouette of Jerry West for their logo) will be Lonzo Ball in air going to the hoop for a dunk. Lonzo is of course Lavar’s eldest son and the current starting point guard for the LA Lakers.
The Junior Basketball Association will be fighting against the system that is the NCAA. “Those kids who are one-and-done, they shouldn’t be there with the NCAA trying to hold them hostage, not allowing them to keep the jersey they wear while selling replicas of them in stores,” LaVar said. “So our guy isn’t going to go to Florida State for a year. He’s going to come to our league.”
The #JBA isn’t just a basketball league. It’s a way of life. Allowing young Ballers to pursue their dreams and make money. #BigBaller #BigBallerBrand #StayInYoLane #JBA #JuniorBasketballAssociation
— Junior Basketball Association (@JuniorBallAssoc) December 20, 2017
Already many pundits seem to have little faith in Lavar succeeding with this new league, but I do believe he can make this work and with his confidence he believes he will succeeds too.
What do you think about Lavar’s plans for the Junior Basketball Association?
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