In one season at UCLA, Lonzo Ball became one this decade’s biggest college basketball stars. His youngest brother, LaMelo, is preparing for the NBA draft half a world away from that stage.
While the overwhelmingly large majority of America’s top high school talent — including Memphis’ James Wiseman, North Carolina’s Cole Anthony, Georgia’s Anthony Edwards and Washington’s Isaiah Stewart — continue to carry out their one-and-done year in college, Ball, and fellow future top-10 pick RJ Hampton are spending this season in Australia’s National Basketball League.
As part of the NBL’s Next Stars Program — introduced in 2018 — the American imports will reportedly earn a salary of roughly $68,400, and be eligible to sign endorsement deals. The pair will also be provided a car, an apartment, air travel and individual development training.
“My agents did a ton of research on the options I had to play this coming season, and Australia really made sense for me,” Ball told ESPN. “My goal is to be the top pick in next year’s draft, and I feel they can help me reach that goal.”
Ball, a former UCLA commit, was unlikely to be NCAA eligible anyway. After withdrawing from Chino Hills High School before his junior season, Ball played professionally in Lithuania, and then joined the Junior Basketball Association, a brainchild of father, LaVar. The 6-foot-6 guard then attended Spire Academy in Ohio, before signing with the NBL’s Illawarra Hawks.
Hampton joined the New Zealand Breakers, spurning numerous high-level offers from schools such as Kansas and Memphis.
Millions of kids dream of playing in the Final Four, cutting down a net and being showered with confetti in a sold-out stadium.
The 6-foot-5 Texas native wasn’t one of them.
“My dream has never been to play college basketball,” Hampton said during his announcement on ESPN. “My dream has always been to get to the next level and play in the NBA, so, I mean, I think this was the best route for me to live like a pro and play with grown men every day and not have to juggle books and basketball and just focus on my main goal.”
In Australia, NBA scouts are now a constant presence. A recent game between Ball’s and Hampton’s teams was the most-watched contest in the league’s history, with nearly two million views recorded on Facebook.
A recent exhibition between the Breakers and Oklahoma City Thunder left a future Hall of Famer endorsing the 18-year-old Hampton’s NBA future.
“RJ looked good, man,” Chris Paul said. “He’s very talented, and I see why all the scouts and GMs came to see him play.”
Many won’t see Hampton or Ball play at all this season.
Next year that changes. Next year is all that’s on their minds.
“[I’m learning] just how to be a professional,” Hampton said after the NBA exhibition game. “I’ve had a lot of guys take me under their wing and show me different things. I’m 18. They’ve been playing basketball longer than I have and they can show me different things, so I just take it in and listen.”