LaMelo Ball will be NBA Rookie of the Year

LaMelo+Ball+with+the+Illawarra+Hawks+in+August+2019

Zack Samberg, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

LaMelo Ball with the Illawarra Hawks in August 2019

LaMelo Ball was drafted third overall in this year’s NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets and is well-poised to be the Rookie of the Year.

LaMelo became a star when he was a freshman in high school, playing for Chino Hills High School in California. He and his brothers won multiple national championships while playing with each other.

LaMelo’s journey to the NBA is different than that normal player. He started in high school playing with his brothers, then went on to play for Spire Academy in Ohio. Melo then played professionally in Lithuania with his brother Liangelo for a couple of years. After that, he went to play professional basketball in Australia.

LaMelo already had professional experience, which many players entering the draft don’t have. This will give LaMelo a huge advantage over other prospects entering the NBA for their rookie year.

Melo also has an older brother that is in the NBA. Lonzo was picked second overall by the Lakers in 2017. Lonzo has definitely given LaMelo some pointers on how to adapt to the NBA and how to bring his game to the next level.

For these reasons, LaMelo Ball will be the 2020- 2021 NBA Rookie of the Year.