P
LAYING COLLEGE
ball isn’t an option due
to sales of the Melo Ball
1—his signature shoe—
and LaMelo’s contract
in Lithuania, but LaVar
is confident that playing
overseas will prepare
his youngest son for the NBA in a way
college or prep ball never could.
“When you got a dude playing for their
paycheck, their livelihood and their
families, you don’t got anyone playing
harder than that,” LaVar says. “There’s a
difference when you’re playing against
grown guys.”
LaMelo doesn’t really care where he
signs, he just wants to play somewhere
that’ll fit his style of play: “Fast-paced.”
Wherever LaMelo goes, he’ll be
without the regular supervision of LaVar
for the first time in his life. Instead, he’ll
be accompanied by Jermaine Jackson,
his coach at SPIRE who recently moved
to Chino Hills to stay with the family and
work as LaMelo’s trainer and manager.
Despite the age gap—Jackson is 42—the
two are practically inseparable.
Jackson has coached plenty of star
players throughout the years, but none
quite compare to the sensation that is
LaMelo Ball. When 1,500 people were
turned away from a sold out practice
scrimmage at 9 a.m., it hit Jackson that
this star was different.
Strip away the Southern California
mansion, the luxury cars and the reality
show cameras, though, and Jackson
says there’s nothing that separates
LaMelo from any other high school
senior.
“He’s just a kid,” Jackson says. “He
smiles, he’s energetic, he wants to have
fun. He’s a normal 17-year-old kid. You
don’t know what he has unless you come
and see it.”
If their journey overseas is anything
like their current living situation, there’s
a solid chance nights of interrupted
sleep will be the norm for Jackson, a
six-year pro in the NBA. Most of their
conversations center around what life is
like in the League, a point of borderline
obsession for LaMelo.
“We talk about that shit at 4, 5 o’clock
in the morning almost every other day,”
says Jackson. “He’s always picking my
brain: What is this? What is that? Who did
this? How many plays did you run?”
CASSY ATHENA/GETTY IMAGES“You got a lot of 17-year-old kids that+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
“MY SON
HAS HAD AN ‘X’ ON HIS BACK
SINCE HE WAS A BABY.
SEE IF YOU CAN BEAT HIM.”
— L AVA R