The Ball brothers are apparently getting their own tournament
Since last month’s announcement that LiAngelo and LaMelo Ball had agreed to a contract to play professional basketball in Lithuania, there have been questions about how much playing time the American brothers can expect on a team filled with older players.
While it remains to be seen how much time the two will get once they make their league debuts Tuesday, the general manager of the Prienai-Birstonas Vytautas team may have found one way to guarantee some extra playing time for the Balls.
Adomas Kubilius said the team is in the process of organizing a tournament that would involve five extra games for the team — and presumably create a perfect opportunity for LiAngelo, 19, and LaMelo, 16, to gain some valuable experience.
“We’re discussing a new tournament now to play five games here in Prienai in our arena,” Kubilius told ESPN. “It would be with EuroLeague teams.
“We’re talking to teams like Zalgiris and CSKA Moscow about playing in it. It would be an opportunity for them to play more games, and play against players of similar age.”
The Balls arrived in Lithuania on Wednesday evening. They are scheduled to participate in their first practice with their new team Friday, and then take part in a news conference.
“It’s surely no California and it’s cold, but I think we will like it here,” LaMelo told reporters as the Balls walked through the crowd after their arrival at the airport in Vilnius, the country’s capital.
Welcome to Lithuania, Ball brothers! They’ve just landed in Lithuania pic.twitter.com/3jlovDzE3c
— Donatas Urbonas (@Urbodo) January 3, 2018
Prienai-Birstonas Vytautas will play a league game against Lietuvos Rytas on Saturday, but the Balls will not play in that game. They are expected to play in the team’s next game, which will be at home Tuesday night.
Most tickets for that game at the team’s 1,200-seat arena have already been sold, according to the team.
“Prienai is a small town and people still didn’t believe that they were actually coming,” Kubiulius said of the Balls. “It will be an interesting time for all of us. It’s an opportunity for a little town to become known to the whole world.”
Head coach Viginijus Seskus said earlier this week that he expects the Balls to play “a lot” because he believes they can help the team.
“They are young, but I can promise that they will play a lot and I hope we will help them to get better and they will help us to win more games,” Seskus said told ESPN via his son, Edvinus, who plays on the team.
If you thought LaVar Ball would arrive quietly in Lithuania, then you don't know LaVar Ball. https://t.co/TTRJooW1Mz
— Rappler Sports (@RapplerSports) January 4, 2018
LaVar Ball said upon his arrival in Lithuania that having his sons play for Prienai-Birstonas Vytautas is the first step of getting them to the NBA — specifically to the Los Angeles Lakers to join his oldest son, Lonzo, who is a rookie with the team.
“I’m gonna get all my boys on the Lakers, but we gonna come over here and have some fun first,” Ball told reporters.
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