NBA
LaMelo Ball Is Already Celebrating $16 Million NBA Salary With a Diamond-Encrusted Splurge
Joe Kozlowski began his career as a sports journalist in 2013 and joined Sportscasting in 2019. He covers the NBA and soccer for Sportscasting, with specialties in legacy NBA players such as Michael Jordan and Premier League club Arsenal. Off the clock, he's a Kansas City Chiefs fan and a hockey goalie. Growing up loving Shaquille O'Neal and reading everything he could about the great big men throughout NBA history — likely because he was still tall enough, at least relative to his peers, to play center — he's continued to love learning about and exploring the historical and story-based sides of the basketball archives. As for Arsenal, Joe spent a year living in London and latched onto the local support of the club. He's barely missed a match since, loving Arsene Wenger, enduring the Banter Era, and following along through rebuilds. The Premier League interest developed into a passionate following of the Champions League, Europe's big five league, and international soccer as a whole when played at the highest level. Regardless of the sport, Joe is captivated by the stories of athletes beyond the box scores and how they push the envelope — both in terms of what we think a human is capable of accomplishing and how they find new competitive tactics to win.
Get to know Joe Kozlowski betterPublished09 Dec 2020
Whether you love them or hate them, just about everyone who follows basketball knows the Ball family. While LaVar may grab most of the headlines, his basketball-playing sons are no strangers to making news, either. In recent weeks, most of the conversation has focused on the youngest of the brothers, LaMelo Ball.
In November 2020, LaMelo Ball joined the Charlotte Hornets as the third-overall pick of the draft. That move guaranteed the new NBA player a $16 million salary; he’s already put a chunk of that cash to use on an expensive splurge.
LaMelo Ball took an unconventional road to the NBA
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Ever since the NBA instituted the ‘one and done’ rule, the best players have graduated from high school, spent a single year in college, and then entered into the pros. LaMelo Ball, however, did things a bit differently.
Ball first made a name for himself at Chino Hills High School, where he played basketball alongside his brothers. After two seasons, though, LaVar pulled his sons from the program; LaMelo was homeschooled and headed abroad to play professional ball in Lithuania.
That European odyssey didn’t end in success, though, and Ball returned to the United States. He hit the court in his dad’s Junior Basketball Association and played his senior high school season with SPIRE Institute before heading abroad again, this time to Australia.
While Ball didn’t see much playing time in the National Basketball League, his raw talent was too much to ignore. He entered into the 2020 NBA draft as one of the top prospects on the board, assuming you could overlook his father’s antics.
Making big money as the third-overall pick
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When the 2020 NBA draft arrived, LaMelo Ball joined the Charlotte Hornets as the third-overall pick. Not only did that selection make history and set up a potential grudge match between LaVar and Michael Jordan, but it made the teenager pretty rich.
Based on Spotrac’s contract information, Ball is guaranteed to earn just over $16 million during the first two years of his rookie contract. If the Hornets decide to pick up both of their club options, LaMelo can take home another $19 million during his first four seasons in Charlotte.
The guard’s earning power won’t be limited to just salary, though. Given his status as a lottery pick and, for better or worse, the notoriety of the Ball family name, LaMelo shouldn’t have a problem landing any endorsements. Before even being drafted, for example, he inked a sneaker deal with Puma.
LaMelo Ball spent some of that salary on a new grill
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When someone comes into a large sum of money, it’s understandable that they’ll immediately want to spend some of it on themselves. Given LaMelo Ball’s sizable salary and net worth, though, his splurge was a bit more lavish than most.
In an Instagram post from AP The Jeweler, Ball can be seen sporting a new set of grills. According to TMZ, “the finished product is a pair of 14k white gold chompers (8 top teeth, 8 bottom) with VVS diamonds in a honeycomb set.” It also apparently includes “the most diamonds” that AP has ever put in a grill.
At this point, it’s not clear how much LaMelo Ball spent on his new jewelry. If he lives up to the hype in the NBA, though, that cash will be in a drop in the bucket compared to his career earnings.
