Yahoo Movies The redemption of LaMelo Ball from 'overrated' to No. 3 NBA draft pick
“Overrated.”
“Garbage.”
“Loser.”
These aren’t terms you’d normally see used to describe a five-star, 15-year-old high school basketball player. Definitely not one who scored 92 points in a single game, who regularly pulled up from 35 feet, and especially not one who would eventually become the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft.
Yet, these are terms that were often used to describe Charlotte Hornets rookie point guard LaMelo Ball.
A lot of attention comes with carrying his last name, and all of his brothers were definitely affected, but none quite like Melo. Lonzo Ball was questioned — understandably so. LiAngelo Ball was doubted — rightfully so.
However, Melo — Melo was hated.
“Is he the most hated high school player ever?”
There were few athletes in any sport on any level who were surrounded by more vitriol than Melo was in 2017. I’d argue there are few athletes who have ever played and can relate.
His 92-point game was torn apart. His bad games went viral. The basketball world was feeding on the pitfalls of a teenager. And as strange as it feels to write that now, it wasn’t strange at all at that time.
As a sophomore, he had over 2 million followers on Instagram and nearly 200,000 followers on Twitter (numbers that have nearly tripled and quadrupled since), starred in a reality show and played in his own signature basketball shoe.
He wasn’t just a basketball player, he was a celebrity who also happened to play basketball. At least, that’s how most people seemed to view him. As a celebrity first. And one undeserving of its spoils.
I’ve seen him play a number of times, and it was always about basketball for Melo. I’ve never seen a kid more comfortable and at home on the basketball court.
Regardless of the situation or the opponent, he carries himself with supreme confidence. He’s definitely entertaining, but it wasn’t like he set out to entertain. His approach to the game just happened to be entertaining.
He’s continued to improve, averaging 27.7 ppg and 10 apg in his high school senior season at Spire Institute in 2018-19 then impressing NBA scouts with 17 ppg, 7.5 rpg and 7.0 apg in Australia’s NBL with the Illawarra Hawks in 2019-20.
Those seasons proved what he already knew to be true: That he was an NBA-caliber player. Now, people finally started to look past the celebrity and embrace the basketball player.
Melo is a good kid and has done nothing to make anyone feel otherwise. Any hate that he’s ever received was misplaced.
Still, his path has been somewhat of a redemptive one. He has a lot to prove. We’ve yet to see how he fares when lacing them up with the best in the world.
But these days when people describe LaMelo Ball, you don’t hear “overrated,” “garbage” and “loser” because they’re simply not true. And they never were.
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