LaVar Ball Wants to Start a League for Players Who Don't Want to Go to College
LaVar Ball told ESPN's Darren Rovell that he intends to start a professional league for top-ranked prospects who do not want to go to college.
The league, which is fully funded by Big Baller Brand, is called the Junior Basketball Association. Ball said he is looking for 80 players to fill 10 teams that will play in professional arenas in Los Angeles, Brooklyn, Atlanta and Dallas.
To incentivize players to join the league rather than play for free in college, Ball said the league will pay lower-ranked prospects $3,000 a month and the highest-ranked prospects up to $10,000 per month. The rules will mimick those of the NBA rather than college's, meaning there will be four 12-minute quarters and the three-point line will be the same distance as the NBA's.
The timing of Ball's decision to create an alternative to college basketball is not surprising.
The father of Lakers rookie Lonzo, LaVar Ball recently pulled his son LaMelo out of high school in California and other son LiAngelo out of UCLA after he was suspended for shoplifting in China. Ball had both sons sign with Lonzo's agent, which destroys their college eligibility, and they signed professional contracts with Prienai Birstonas Vytautus in Lithauania.
"Getting these players is going to be easy," Ball told Rovell. "This is giving guys a chance to get a jump start on their career, to be seen by pro scouts, and we're going to pay them because someone has to pay these kids."
While no contracts have been signed—by players or arenas—one thing is set in stone: players in the league will be required to wear only Big Baller Brand products.
"We'll give it to them all," Ball told ESPN. "They'll be wearing our uniform, our sheos, our T-shirts and our hoodies."
