LaMelo LaFrance Ball (born August 22, 2001) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Illawarra Hawks of the National Basketball League (NBL). Listed at 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m) and 181 pounds (82 kg), he plays the point guard position.
Ball began high school at Chino Hills High School in California, where he won a state championship and achieved national success as a freshman with his older brothers Lonzo, now an NBA guard, and LiAngelo. Before his junior season, a coaching dispute prompted him to leave Chino Hills and sign with Lithuanian professional team Prienai. In 2018, he played in the Junior Basketball Association (JBA), a league created by his father, before returning to high school as a senior with SPIRE Institute in Ohio. A former UCLA commit, he was a five-star recruit but chose to forgo college basketball amid eligibility concerns and play for the Illawarra Hawks in Australia in 2019, winning NBL Rookie of the Year.