LaMelo Ball was one of the NBA’s more intriguing young prospects heading into the 2020 NBA Draft.
On one hand, he had a ton of hype surrounding him stemming from his short stint playing basketball oversees. On the other, his older brother is perceived by many to be a disappointment, leading to concerns about whether he’d be more of the same.
The Minnesota Timberwolves telegraphed that they’d be selecting someone other than Ball with the first overall pick. They determined that, since D’Angelo Russell was already on the roster, Ball would be a redundancy.
That meant Ball was there for the Golden State Warriors at No. 2 – if they wanted him.
This week, during a recent episode of ESPN’s ‘Jalen & Jacoby’ show, NBA insider Jalen Rose revealed an interesting tidbit.
Apparently the Warriors lied to Ball and told him they’d take him with the second overall pick, only to then turn around and nab James Wiseman out of Memphis.
“The night of the draft, the Golden State Warriors told LaMelo Ball they were going to take him next and they didn’t do it,” Rose said. “That story will come out soon.”
If it is in fact true that not only did Golden State pass on Ball, but also did it in such a shady way, that’s a terrible look.
The real star of All-Star weekend. https://t.co/jAMuWDI2Vl
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Ball is averaging 15.8 points, 6.3 assists, 6.0 rebounds per game while emerging as the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year. Recent comments about him from Michael Jordan speak for themselves.
Beyond that, he has earned strong reactions from the likes of Warriors star Stephen Curry, LeBron James of the LA Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers.
Obviously the Warriors are generating headlines these days for being linked to a blockbuster trade, so this story has sort of gotten buried, but it’s still fascinating to think about how different Golden State might be if they had taken Ball with the second pick.
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Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
