LOS ANGELES \u2014 Life as one of the Ball brothers hasn\u2019t always been easy.<\/p>\n
Growing up in the swirl of dad LaVar Ball\u2019s braggadocio \u2014 perhaps a plan by LaVar to instill toughness in his sons while also garnering them attention \u2014 Lonzo, LiAngelo and LaMelo have had targets on their backs for as long as they can remember.<\/p>\n
Reserve guard Lonzo, 27, sat in front of his locker after the Bulls\u2019 victory over the Clippers late Monday night, answering questions about all the critics he and his brothers had to deal with growing up in nearby Anaheim, California, and playing basketball in Chino Hills. With two of the three brothers now in the NBA and all three successful, do any of those critics now owe the Ball family an apology?<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think so,\u201d said Lonzo, the laidback eldest son. \u201cI think everybody is entitled to their opinion. Some people like us, some people don\u2019t. It definitely doesn\u2019t change my life. I\u2019m just blessed and go out there every day and try to be the best me.\u201d<\/p>\n
What\u2019s there even left to be critical about, really? Lonzo Ball is one of the most visible comeback stories in recent sports history, having returned to the Bulls after a 2\u00bd-year absence and a rare cartilage transplant in his left knee that no other pro athlete has ever returned from. The youngest son, LaMelo, 23, is a star point guard for the Hornets and leads Eastern Conference All-Star voting for guards. And LiAngelo, 26, has jumped feet-first into the rap game, landing a record deal with Def Jam.<\/p>\n
The immediate future is bright. Lonzo Ball just doesn\u2019t know where he\u2019ll be for it. He\u2019s a free agent after this season and has seen his name pop up more than once in trade rumors the last few months.<\/p>\n
His dad has promised that the Ball brothers will play together on an NBA team at some point. If LaVar Ball is speaking that into existence, it would have to come together this offseason. LaMelo is rumored to be getting out of Charlotte, although that seems to be a long shot. Lonzo could go anywhere he wants. LiAngelo has abandoned his NBA aspirations for now but could jump back in.<\/p>\n
Could one of the Los Angeles teams be the meeting point for all three? Lonzo played two seasons with the Lakers after being drafted No. 2 overall out of UCLA in 2017.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s part of my journey, [and] it\u2019s always nice coming back here and playing in front of my people,\u201d he said of this week\u2019s visit with the Bulls. \u201cL.A. has rocked with me from the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n
But playing ball again for an L.A. team? Ball didn\u2019t say yes or no.<\/p>\n
\u201cWherever I\u2019m at, that\u2019s what I focus on,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t look too far in the future \u2014 just take it day by day.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the same mentality he has had throughout his return season. And the day-by-days are adding up. After suffering a wrist injury four games into the season and missing 15 games in October and November, Ball has played with consistency, only skipping games when the Bulls have played back-to-backs, which he\u2019s still not cleared for. Since Dec. 28, he has played in 11 of 13 games with increasingly lighter restrictions on his minutes. He logged 26-plus in Monday\u2019s win.<\/p>\n
If there was a time for another NBA team to take a chance and try to acquire him, it\u2019s now. And it\u2019s what the Bulls are likely hoping for as the Feb. 6 trade deadline draws near.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t rule it out. And don\u2019t rule out a Ball.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Whenever Ball has the opportunity to return to his hometown of Los Angeles and play, it’s special. That doesn’t mean he needs to play for an L.A. team, but he won’t rule it out, either. For now, he’s just enjoying being healthy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":28046,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28045","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba"],"yoast_head":"\n