LaVar Ball's Junior Basketball Association debuts with a freewheeling style in front of small crowd
ONTARIO, Calif.
— At the debut of LaVar Ball's new professional basketball league Thursday night, he gave trophies and high fives to the special needs children who competed at halftime of the league's two featured games.
LaVar deserves a shiny trophy and a big high five, too.
Dozens of young men who will never make the NBA, or the G League, or, if one day it comes to exist, even to the Z league, are getting paid to play basketball thanks to LaVar Ball.
His Junior Basketball Association (JBA) features eight teams, comprised of players between the ages of 18 and 20, along with the youngest of his three sons, 16-year-old LaMelo.
The league is being marketed as an alternative to the NCAA for kids who don't want to, or weren't academically eligible to, play college basketball.
So, kudos to the biggest of Big Ballers.
But the notion that this league is a viable business?.
That's as farfetched as LaVar's boast that he would've beaten Michael Jordan one on one.
On Thursday night they darkened the upper half of the 11,089-seat Citizens Business Bank Arena and the place still looked less than a quarter full.
(Mind you, the arena is located less than a 20-minute drive from Chino Hills, where the Ball family enjoys its most ardent fan base.).
The loudest the crowd got is when members of a dance team threw Big Baller Brand T-shirts into the stands.
Even LaVar looked relatively subdued, opting for a suit and tie — granted, a purple and gold tie with the BBB logo.
With a microphone in hand, he headed to center court before tipoff of the second game and addressed the crowd.
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"One thing you'll notice about this league is that everyone of our players has a story,'' he said.
"So if the score is 140-40, don't leave.
Because that team's coming back.
"All of them are fighters.
And you ain't going to see nothing like this.''.
He promised floor burns, and players diving for loose balls, and passion, and, if that's why the fans bought tickets that ranged in price from $39 to $99, maybe they got their money's worth.
Here's what they saw:.
The 48-minute games and freewheeling style led to eye-popping scores.
LaMelo had 40 points and helped lead the Los Angeles Ballers to 134-124 victory over the New York Ballers, and the Atlanta Ballers beat the Chicago Ballers 128-117.
The league also features the Houston Ballers, Dallas Ballers, Philadelphia Ballers and Seattles Ballers because when you're around LaVar, well, everyone's a Baller, right?.
It certainly helps to be a Baller if you want your pair of Lonzo Ball's signature BBB shoes (retail price: $500) or LaMelo's signature BBB shoes ($400), but we digress.
A half-dozen dunks and a few slick passes from LaMelo Thursday night highlighted the razzle and dazzle.
And during two games, the caliber of basketball ranged from high-level high school to low-level Division I college, at best.
Most of the players are about as well known as the ones LaMelo and LiAngelo competed against in Lithuania earlier this year.
Some recently graduated from high school, others recently graduated from prep school and others played in junior college.
Despite LaVar's efforts, he lured no big names to the league.
That is, other than his marquee player, LaMelo.
Many of the courtside seats were occupied by LaVar's friends and family members, including his two older sons, Lonzo and LiAngelo.
Talk about brotherly love.
Lonzo, the Los Angeles Lakers guard, and LiAngelo, eligible for the NBA draft Thursday night but not selected, sat through the entire second game, during which LaMelo looked as if he was getting paid by the shot.
He took 33, and made 14.
Cheap shots were as easy to take as 3-pointers, and the Los Angeles Ballers attempted 42 of them — a league record! — but made just eight.
But to find success, it helped to look beyond the box score.
For example, a dozen people in line at the Big Baller merchandise stand was a common sight.
Gear ranged in price from Big Baller Brand socks ($10) to Lonzo's shoe ($500).
The line was at least twice as long for those who wanted an photo with LaVar, who also signed autographs.
Fidel Martinez, 33, grinned as he held up one Lonzo Ball's signature sneakers and pointed to the spot LaVar had autographed.
Martinez said he is a K-9 officer at a state prison, drove 90 minutes to get to the game and paid $99 for a courtside seat.
"I just like what he's doing,'' said Martinez, sporting a leather BBB hat and a No.
2 Lonzo Ball Lakers jersey.
"He's doing things different.
He's doing things for his family, and I think it's a good thing.
"I'm having a good time.
I'm enjoying it.''.
The players seemed equally delighted.
On Wednesday, they received their first paychecks.
Jerry Vargas, a 6-6 forward from Brooklyn who plays for the Seattle Big Ballers, said he sent $500 home to his mother after getting a check for $1,178.
(The players are expected to be paid every two weeks, and the 40-game season is scheduled to make stops in 10 cities and culminate Aug.
12 back in Ontario, according to the league's website.).
After recently graduating from Bushwick High School, Vargas said, he decided on playing for LaVar's league despite having six college scholarship offers to smaller schools.
The JBA games are scheduled to be broadcast live on Facebook.
"This will give me more exposure,'' Vargas said, "and this is the first year, so it's history.
Not far away was his coach, Charles O'Bannon, member of UCLA's 1995 national championship basketball team.
He also is the younger brother of Ed O'Bannon, who helped LaVar select talent identifed at tryouts held around the country.
The players convened in Southern California about two weeks ago for training camp.
Noting the players have gotten paid, Charles O'Bannon said, "This is 1,000 percent legit.
LaVar has created something that's long overdue.''.
The small crowd on opening night suggested something else: The quality of play will not justify the ticket prices or support the apparent business model — 64 players getting $3,000 a month — even with LaVar's larger-than-life personality.
But give the man a trophy, a high five and a nice ovation during the first and -- unless hes gone from businessman to philanthropist -- the last season of his basketball league.
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For more infomation >> THE BEACH BOYS - WikiVidi Documentary - Duration: 15:24. 
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