LiAngelo Ball trying to forge his own path to NBA

LiAngelo Ball quietly put together one of the more impressive Summer League showings of the year a few weeks back when he suited up for the Charlotte Hornets.

When it was all said and done, he averaged 9.6 points, two boards, and 1.6 steals per game.

Will that be enough to earn him a permanent slot on the roster alongside his younger brother, LaMelo? It remains to be seen.

This week, LiAngelo talked about his time with the Hornets this summer and trying to make his way to the NBA. 

“I just listen to my coaches really. I could do whatever they want me to do,” he told Shams Charania of The Athletic. “If they want me to get the ball and score, I could do that. If they want me to run off screens, I could do that. I just make sure I work on everything, so when they do ask me to do something, I’ll be 100 percent and ready to go.

“I just know I had to stick to my own path. I can’t do what ‘Melo and ‘Zo did because they had different paths. I know I had to stay grounded and stay locked in one spot. Charlotte felt like home.”

Once upon a time, LiAngelo looked NBA-bound when he was recruited by UCLA. Unfortunately, he was kicked out in his freshman season after an international shoplifting controversy during a trip in China. He then agreed to play professionally in Lithuania before getting a shot with the Detroit Pistons last year in training camp. The Pistons would go on to cut him.

It’ll be interesting to see whether LaMelo ultimately goes to bat and tries to get the Hornets to sign his brother to a legit slot. Although the reigning Rookie of the Year isn’t shy about explaining why he is significantly better than oldest brother, Lonzo, he has never spoken that way about LiAngelo.

LaMelo’s relationship with Hornets owner Michael Jordan is a matter of public record. How will that ultimately influence LiAngelo’s chances of landing a permanent NBA gig? Time will tell.