Believe it or not, LaMelo Ball and Luka Doncic do share some similarities — one being the fact that they played basketball overseas before making their way to the NBA.
Of course, for LaMelo, his stint in the international scene only lasted a few years, starting in Lithuania back in 2017, and then in the NBL leading up to the draft. Doncic, who was born and raised in Slovenia, probably qualifies what most would think of as an overseas ballplayer.
Still, it didn’t stop Melo from comparing their pre-NBA journies. Here’s what he said to Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson:
Lamelo on Luka: “Great experience”
“He came from overseas just like me.”
— 👑 Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) December 31, 2020
Fans weren’t exactly liking the statement, not only because LaMelo and his family are about as American as it gets, but also because he’s not really close to being the player Luka is.
Lamelo bro you lived in USA almost your whole life
— 𝕃𝕒𝕜𝕖𝕣 𝔸𝕟𝕕𝕪 🏀🏆x17 (@AChad92) December 31, 2020
https://twitter.com/yasmineisokay/status/1344505481096818694
😂😂😂😂😂
— Curt 🌰 (@OGKINGCURT) December 31, 2020
https://twitter.com/NickHamiltonLA/status/1344507689582280705
Still, his play has been impressive so far, with his latest game seeing the young star put up 22 points and 8 rebounds. For the season, Ball is averaging 6.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3 assists per game on 33% shooting.
While he clearly has a long way to go before he lives up to his potential, confidence doesn’t appear to be an issue for him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbB-jEe2CaU
