Former Lakers Star Lonzo Ball Dishes Out Blunt Advice to Brother LiAngelo

The former No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft did not hold back.

Jan 19, 2019; Houston, TX, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonzo Ball (2) dribbles the ball as Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon (10) defends during the third quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Former Los Angeles Lakers star point guard Lonzo Ball, now a backup with the Chicago Bulls, had some harsh words for younger brother LiAngelo during a recent appearance on WNBA All-Star Chicago Sky power forward Angel Reese's podcast, "Unapologetically Angel."

Lonzo, selected by his hometown Lakers with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft out of UCLA, did not hold back.

LiAngelo, 26, is a 6-foot-5 shooting guard/small forward. He was briefly enrolled at Lonzo's alma mater, but was booted from the team after a theft incident during an overseas preseason trip, ahead of what would have been his freshman season in 2017-18. He then played for Lithuanian club Prienai. Their father, LaVar, founded the Junior Basketball Association, and signed him to their club the Los Angeles Ballers.

In February of this year, LiAngelo appeared in two games for Mexican club Astros de Jalisco, but left the club after suffering a left ankle ligament injury. Lonzo thinks playing abroad is the best path forward for his younger brother.

Lonzo Ball gets real honest with his brother LiAngelo Ball telling him the NBA is not a realistic future for him and it’s better to play overseas. pic.twitter.com/WQBjQpPdnG

— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) November 28, 2024

"I get called [to play] overseas," LiAngelo said. "If I had the right setup, I'm going... 'cause I got to wait a little longer for the G League."

"I feel like the opportunity is not gonna be the same in the G League for him," Lonzo opined. "Just because of his process and how long it's been. Just being realistic. I'm his big brother, I gotta, ya know, tell him the truth, you know what I'm saying? I think his path is overseas. He should have been overseas killing it."

LiAngelo countered, opining that, if he were ever to be granted significant run in the G League, he would have been able to prove he truly belonged at the NBA-adjacent level.

"That's fair enough too, overseas is nice," LiAngeleo said. "But look: I feel like, if I go to the G League, I'm going to carry myself, I only need my shot. If they give me my shot, I'm gonna do my thing."

LiAngelo managed to latch on with the Greensboro Swarm, the G League program for younger brother LaMelo's NBA squad, the Charlotte Hornets, from 2021-23. Across 31 NBAGL regular season contests with the Swarm (just six starts), LiAngelo averaged 4.4 points on .382/.333/.500 shooting splits and 1.1 rebounds across 13.1 minutes a night.

"This is the problem I have. I feel like you got your shot in the Summer League with the Hornets," Lonzo added. "Are you gonna sit in the [G League] on the bench, or are you gonna go overseas to somewhere nice and go get 30?"

Lonzo played for the Lakers from 2017-19, before being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019. He evolved into an elite 3-and-D guard while there, but struggled with injury issues. He's missed most of his four seasons in Chicago due to three successive knee injuries to repair a meniscus tear.

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