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Ball Brothers Sign with Lithuanian Club After LiAngelo Withdrew from UCLA

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LaMelo and LiAngelo Ball are taking a different professional basketball route than older brother Lonzo Ball. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

LaVar Ball has made good on his promise to have his sons play overseas. LaMelo and LiAngelo Ball will play for the Lithuanian club Vytautas Prienai as part of a one-year professional deal.

 

Coach of the team, Virginijus Seskus, who is also the general manager, confirmed the news to ESPN Tuesday, Dec. 12. Rural-based Vytautas has teams in the Lithuanian League and the Baltic League, the latter of which is less competitive. It’s reported that guard LaMelo and scorer LiAngelo, who left UCLA after he and two other teammates were suspended for shoplifting in China, would likely have more playing time in the Baltic League.

“Our club is excited for the arrival of LiAngelo and LaMelo Ball,” Vytautas sports director Vilius Vaitkevicius told Yahoo Sports. “We are committed to their long-term success and development as professional basketball players.”

The Ball brothers will reportedly join the team, which has been dealing with financial issues, in January. Meanwhile, older brother Lonzo Ball is in his rookie season with the Los Angeles Lakers.


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“I don’t care about the money,” LaVar Ball told ESPN Thursday, Dec. 7 when explaining why his sons signed with agent Harrison Gaines, who scored the teenagers their overseas deal. “I want them to go somewhere where they will play them together on the court at the same time. The priority is for the boys to play on the same team.”

On Twitter, many have been weighing in.

Some have been dragging LaVar and dissing the team choice.

One chided them on their athleticism.

Others were happy for the Ball brothers and looked at the deal positively.

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