Lonzo and LaMelo Ball Make NBA History as First Brothers Drafted in Top 3

Lonzo and LaMelo Ball made NBA history on Wednesday night as the younger brother was selected by the Charlotte Hornets as the No. 3 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. 

The two became the first set of brothers to be selected in the top 3 of the NBA Draft. 

Lonzo spent a year at UCLA before the Lakers drafted him with the No. 2 overall pick in 2017. He spent two years playing for Los Angeles, including one year with LeBron James, before he was sent to the New Orleans Pelicans as part of the Anthony Davis trade.

His first season in New Orleans saw him average 11.8 points, 7.0 assists and 6.1 rebounds while shooting a career-high 37.5% from 3-point range. 

LaMelo, the youngest of the three Ball brothers, spent 2019-20 season playing abroad with the Illawarra Hawks in the NBL Australia League. His season was cut short due to injury, but the 6'7" guard averaged 17.0 points, 7.6 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 12 games, earning NBL Rookie of the Year honors.

He verbally committed to play for UCLA in 2013, expected to follow in the footsteps of Lonzo and middle child LiAngelo, but bypassed college basketball entirely due to eligibility concerns. 

Currently, the Charlotte Hornets are relatively deep at point guard with Devonte Graham and Terry Rozier. While LaMelo may not be a strong jump shooter, he could improve the Hornets' ball movement since he's known for having rare court vision and playmaking ability.