Whether it was because organizations were unwilling to take on the baggage that was his father LaVar, his off-the-court antics, or they simply didn’t believe in his skill set, especially after a rumored ugly workout, LiAngelo Ball wasn’t taken by a single team in this year’s NBA Draft. The Facebook show Ball in the Family captured the moment when LiAngelo realized that his dreams of playing in the NBA hit their first roadblock.
Coming into the draft, LiAngelo’s agent Harrison Gaines tempered his player’s expectations with the understanding that he may be taken late in the second round by either the Los Angeles Lakers or Phoenix Suns at 57th and 59th overall, respectively. On the night of the draft, he opted to watch his younger brother LaMelo play in a Junior Basketball Association game, instead of staying glued to his seat and waiting for his name to be called.
At the 10:30 mark, we see LiAngelo leave his courtside seat after finding out that the Lakers went with Svi Mykhailiuk over him. He made his way to a TV where he discovered that his final option, the Suns, took George King at 59. "It sucks I didn’t get drafted tonight," Ball reflected. "I guess it was the way I played. I guess. Or the (expletive) I did off the court. At this point, I’m just […] I’m good."
Gaines immediately shifted his client’s focus on the next move in order to get him on an NBA team, which starts with joining a Summer League squad. The harsh reality that LiAngelo may not make it to the NBA was something that his father predicted last year, but that shouldn't stop him from exploring every avenue to try and defy the odds.
