LaVar Ball (L), father of basketball player LiAngelo Ball and the owner of the Big Baller brand, sits with his other son LaMelo Ball during a promotional event in Hong Kong on November 14, 2017. UCLA players LiAngelo Ball -- the younger brother of Los Angeles Lakers rookie star Lonzo Ball -- and teammates Cody Riley and Jalen Hill were arrested on November 7 in Hangzhou ahead of their regular-season-opening game against Georgia Tech in nearby Shanghai this past weekend. ESPN reported that they were nabbed on suspicion of stealing from a Louis Vuitton store and later freed on bail but ordered to remain in Hangzhou. / AFP PHOTO / Anthony WALLACE

LaVar wants LaMelo to be 'the face' of JBA league

8 years ago
ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP / Getty

With the Lithuanian experiment now over, LaVar Ball has shifted his attention on his Junior Basketball Association.

LaVar's marketing strategy for the league, which he created as an alternative to the NCAA, will involve putting the spotlight on his 16-year-old son LaMelo.

"I'm looking for a superstar - I got him right in front of my face," LaVar said in an exit interview with BC Vytautas. "I've been looking for people to develop Melo, say, 'Okay, he's gotta play overseas. He's gotta do that.' But Melo made me understand something: 'Dad, why don't you just develop me like you did Zo and Gelo? Same thing.' He said, 'I can play with anybody. I can play with grown men, I can play with babies, it don't matter. Just make sure I'm stronger and faster and ready for the NBA when it's my turn to be drafted.'

"And that's what we're looking to do right now. Okay, maybe we'll let Melo run this JBA thing for me. That'd be the face of my league. Just like everybody else got LeBron for the NBA ... Melo brought eyes to Vytautas. He brought it. So why can't he do that for my league too?"

The inaugural season of the JBA is set to begin this summer.

- With h/t to For The Win

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