LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 24: LiAngelo Ball #3 of Chino Hills High School shoots the ball during the game against Mater Dei High School at the Galen Center on February 24, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.
LiAngelo Ball may have been suspended from UCLA’s basketball team following his shoplifting incident in China, but he has quickly found another option to keep playing.
Ball and his younger high-school brother LaMelo have reportedly agreed to sign one-year deals with professional Lithuanian club Prienu Vytautas, Ball family agent Harrison Gaines revealed.
Prienu Vytautas coach/GM Virginijus Seskus confirmed the news.
Chino Hills, California-based athletic apparel company Big Baller Brand, whose founder and CEO is LiAngelo and LaMelo’s brash father LaVar Ball, shared this photo on Twitter:
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LaMelo and LiAngelo’s older brother Lonzo, 20, is a rookie for the Los Angeles Lakers who was drafted as the No. 2 overall pick.
Vytautas plays in the Lithuanian (LKL) league, but it is unlikely the Ball brothers would see significant playing time in that league. Vytautas also plays in the lesser competitive Baltic League, where the youngsters could get to play more. The team has reportedly discussed a role of 20 to 25 minutes of play per game apiece in the Baltic League.
Prienu Vytautas, or BC Prienai as it’s often called, is based in a small village of about 10,000 people in southern Lithuania. The club has been dealing with financial issues and lost eight of its first 12 games this season. The team is 4-1 in the Baltic League.
Vytautas has only signed one American player in the last ten years: former Vanderbilt guard Brad Tinsley. However, he left the team after a month.
The club plays in a 1,700-seat arena; 500 of those seats are reserved for team sponsors and their friends. Tickets cost around 5 euros.
The team’s best player right now seems to be the coach’s son, Edvinas Seskus. The other son, Domantas, also played for the club for four years, although he left this season to sign in the French fourth division.
The 16-year-old, 6-foot-3 LaMelo is a guard known for his shot-making prowess despite his unconventional shooting style. He is a career 30 percent 3-point shooter.
Meanwhile, 6-foot-5, 19-year-old LiAngelo only boasts occasional spot-up shooting. He is a career 32 percent 3-point shooter.
LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 24: LiAngelo Ball #3 of Chino Hills High School shoots the ball during the game against Mater Dei High School at the Galen Center on February 24, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Josh Lefkowitz/Getty Images)
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