Lavar Ball to attempt start his own league

[Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)]

LaVar Ball said Wednesday that he's launching a basketball league for nationally ranked players who have graduated from high school but don't want to go to college.

Ball said his Junior Basketball Association -- which he said is fully funded by his Big Baller Brand -- plans to pay the lowest-ranked player a salary of $3,000 a month and the best player $10,000 a month. Ball is looking for 80 players to fill 10 teams that will seek to play at NBA arenas in Los Angeles, Dallas, Brooklyn and Atlanta.

"Getting these players is going to be easy," Ball told ESPN. "This is giving guys a chance to get a jump start on their career, to be seen by pro scouts, and we're going to pay them because someone has to pay these kids."

Ball said the rules of his league will follow those of the NBA instead of college -- 12-minute quarters and a pro 3-point line.

Ball said he was partly motivated by the comments made earlier in the month by NCAA president Mark Emmert, who was asked at a SportsBusiness Journal conference whether Ball was good or bad for the college game.

"Is this about someone being part of a university and playing basketball or any other sport with that school's jersey on, representing that institution, or is it about preparing me for my career, my professional career as a ballplayer?" Emmert responded, just a few days after Ball's son LiAngelo left UCLA to turn pro before even playing for the school. "If it's the latter, you can do that inside a university and that might be a really good way to go. But if you don't want to and you don't think that it's right for your family, then don't come."

"He was right," Ball said. "Those kids who are one-and-done, they shouldn't be there with the NCAA trying to hold them hostage, not allowing them to keep the jersey they wear while selling replicas of them in stores. So our guy isn't going to go to Florida State for a year. He's going to come to our league."

Ball said that since Big Baller Brand is promoting the league, players will wear the company's products, including BBB shoes and a BBB-branded uniform.

Ball admits there's a lot of work to do to get the league ready. No venues have been rented and ticket prices haven't been set. He also doesn't have any players yet -- the league won't include LiAngelo and LaMelo Ball, who have signed with Prienai Birstonas Vytautas in Lithuania.

The logo for the league features a silhouette of son Lonzo, who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers, going to the hoop for a dunk.

"We don't need a logo of a guy dribbling," Ball said, an obvious reference to the NBA's famous Jerry West silhouette. "Nobody does that anymore."

www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/21827823/lavar-ball-wants-start-league-high-school-graduates

Good idea in theory but yeah I can't see this happening. He's doing this because of his kids for one and two who's going to invest in this? 

Like I said good idea in theory but this cost money he doesn't have and I don't see a bunch of investors lining up to do this but I could be wrong 

[unc40]

Just reading the article it sounds like LaVar is just spewing out the first thing that comes to mind. In a couple of days he will forget about this league and have some other idea he wants to do.

[sfvega]

It's not really a good idea though. It's the XFL. You need tons of capital, arenas, attendance, exposure, credibility, coaches, talent willing to overlook all of the aforementioned to chance it on this new league. Some thought after Jennings went overseas that might be the start of some bigger recruits not going the college route and taking the short paycheck, but it never came to be.

For an actual talented and wealthy man, this woulx be a massive undertaking. For this guy, it's a pipe dream. If this motherf***er and ESPN weren't in bed, this wouldn't even be news. It's not news. It's just a thing that's never gonna happen coming out of the mouth of a guy who spews things that are never gonna happen, who is getting paid by a network who fills the day taking one non-story and shoves it up it's own ass every hour.

[Can you afford to pay me, Gah]

Dec 21, 2017 10:52:24 GMT -5 sfvega said:

It's not really a good idea though. It's the XFL. You need tons of capital, arenas, attendance, exposure, credibility, coaches, talent willing to overlook all of the aforementioned to chance it on this new league. Some thought after Jennings went overseas that might be the start of some bigger recruits not going the college route and taking the short paycheck, but it never came to be.

For an actual talented and wealthy man, this woulx be a massive undertaking. For this guy, it's a pipe dream. If this motherf***er and ESPN weren't in bed, this wouldn't even be news. It's not news. It's just a thing that's never gonna happen coming out of the mouth of a guy who spews things that are never gonna happen, who is getting paid by a network who fills the day taking one non-story and shoves it up it's own ass every hour.

Speaking of the XFL that idea of an "alternative" pro football league talk as comeback with Vince McMahon and his group trademarking with United Football League. The issue is that when you start a league like this, how do you expect to have a good product on the field. Every athlete dream is to make it to the very top. So in Basketball NBA but the idea these players who where one and done in college is to play in this league instead, before going to the NBA to get a paycheck sooner? The Football side the bigger issue is the only players your going to have are the unsigned free agents who are mostly has beens. And the rest is undrafted or signed college players that the NFL says your not good enough. Now if you are lucky, you may find that Kurt Warner story player, which that a highly unlikely thing. There is a market for basketball or football always is, and cities who don't have a team you can start there.

Football you start with the places like San Deigo, Oakland, and St. Louis who had NFL teams taken from them. Basketball same thing but again two different ways. One is a pre NBA league the other is wanting to be the NFL rival.

[Rican]

When the NBA G League has a full 30 times that are tied to an NBA affiliate I think we'll see a version of this anyway. I think the NBA should move to requiring players to do 2 years college or 2 years G League. Would incentivize tanking less. Also I think players should have the option to go pro after high school if they choose to, but having them start in the G league with smaller scale contracts and mandatory classes about money management and stuff like that would help them a lot.

[sfvega]

Dec 21, 2017 11:10:33 GMT -5 Can you afford to pay me, Gah said:

Dec 21, 2017 10:52:24 GMT -5 sfvega said:

It's not really a good idea though. It's the XFL. You need tons of capital, arenas, attendance, exposure, credibility, coaches, talent willing to overlook all of the aforementioned to chance it on this new league. Some thought after Jennings went overseas that might be the start of some bigger recruits not going the college route and taking the short paycheck, but it never came to be.

For an actual talented and wealthy man, this woulx be a massive undertaking. For this guy, it's a pipe dream. If this motherf***er and ESPN weren't in bed, this wouldn't even be news. It's not news. It's just a thing that's never gonna happen coming out of the mouth of a guy who spews things that are never gonna happen, who is getting paid by a network who fills the day taking one non-story and shoves it up it's own ass every hour.

Speaking of the XFL that idea of an "alternative" pro football league talk as comeback with Vince McMahon and his group trademarking with United Football League. The issue is that when you start a league like this, how do you expect to have a good product on the field. Every athlete dream is to make it to the very top. So in Basketball NBA but the idea these players who where one and done in college is to play in this league instead, before going to the NBA to get a paycheck sooner? The Football side the bigger issue is the only players your going to have are the unsigned free agents who are mostly has beens. And the rest is undrafted or signed college players that the NFL says your not good enough. Now if you are lucky, you may find that Kurt Warner story player, which that a highly unlikely thing. There is a market for basketball or football always is, and cities who don't have a team you can start there.

Football you start with the places like San Deigo, Oakland, and St. Louis who had NFL teams taken from them. Basketball same thing but again two different ways. One is a pre NBA league the other is wanting to be the NFL rival.

There's really just not enough skin in the game for a dev league between the pros and college. College essentially has a monopoly on the entrance to the monopoly. Proven pipeline, good coaches, guaranteed exposure. I can't see a lot of kids risking bigger paychecks down the line for smaller ones immediately out of HS. There is a higher demand in basketball for such a league, but the window is even smaller. And that stuff is even IF everything else goes right (competent leadership, sponsors, backing, coaches, any type of TV deal). If you can get people to see it as a real route, then you might have something. Problem is getting there and not going bankrupt is really, really, really hard.

[Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)]

Dec 21, 2017 11:25:37 GMT -5 Rican said:

When the NBA G League has a full 30 times that are tied to an NBA affiliate I think we'll see a version of this anyway. I think the NBA should move to requiring players to do 2 years college or 2 years G League. Would incentivize tanking less. Also I think players should have the option to go pro after high school if they choose to, but having them start in the G league with smaller scale contracts and mandatory classes about money management and stuff like that would help them a lot.

This. That's the direction the G League is going in for sure

Adopting the baseball model wouldn't be a bad idea as far as having prospects in your "minor league system" in which you would allow guys coming straight from High School to earn money and if they are good enough than they will be on the NBA roster 

Of course there's a lot of little details to hammer out but it can be done 

[Deleted]

I find it funny that this & Big 3 want to essentially be a touring act instead of trying to, I dunno, actually try and host teams in towns that could embrace them?

[arrogantmodel]

It's going to be called the JBL?

They're gonna be twerkin' and havin' fun, Maggle!

[Deleted]

I at first processed this as Levar Burton and was both confused and vastly more interested.

[Deleted]

Dec 21, 2017 13:10:11 GMT -5 Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) said:

Dec 21, 2017 11:25:37 GMT -5 Rican said:

When the NBA G League has a full 30 times that are tied to an NBA affiliate I think we'll see a version of this anyway. I think the NBA should move to requiring players to do 2 years college or 2 years G League. Would incentivize tanking less. Also I think players should have the option to go pro after high school if they choose to, but having them start in the G league with smaller scale contracts and mandatory classes about money management and stuff like that would help them a lot.

This. That's the direction the G League is going in for sure

Adopting the baseball model wouldn't be a bad idea as far as having prospects in your "minor league system" in which you would allow guys coming straight from High School to earn money and if they are good enough than they will be on the NBA roster 

Of course there's a lot of little details to hammer out but it can be done 

Also, it helps gives the kids life lessons, such as living in small markets, becoming part of a community, and constant travel.

Big Baller League would essentially be a carnival tour; players play a mock "tournament" at each stop with stupid team "names" like No Dribble D-Bags & Chinese Chumps. Unlike Big 3, which is the Senior Tour, this will help destroy most careers easily.

[Cyno]

I think more alternatives to the NCAA > NBA route are good, but I wouldn't trust LaVar Ball to run this league at all.

[Deleted]

This dude is the biggest carny in a long while.

[Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)]

Dec 22, 2017 0:18:20 GMT -5 @akeemresurrection said:

This dude is the biggest carny in a long while.

And the media eats it up

[Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)]

Dec 22, 2017 0:09:55 GMT -5 Cyno said:

I think more alternatives to the NCAA > NBA route are good, but I wouldn't trust LaVar Ball to run this league at all.

In the end all it's about is the BBB.

Nothing more, he can say he's helping kids earn money but that sounds like a load of bull

[arrogantmodel]

Dec 22, 2017 0:09:55 GMT -5 Cyno said:

I think more alternatives to the NCAA > NBA route are good, but I wouldn't trust LaVar Ball to run this league at all.

I wouldn't trust him to run a lemonade stand.

[Deleted]

He should work something out with that 3-on-3 league.

[Mayonnaise]

What if this is what Vince is investing in and not another NFL alternative?

[Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)]

Dec 24, 2017 18:27:22 GMT -5 Mayonnaise said:

What if this is what Vince is investing in and not another NFL alternative?

Time to send Vince home 

[Deleted]

Dec 24, 2017 18:27:22 GMT -5 Mayonnaise said:

What if this is what Vince is investing in and not another NFL alternative?

Vince about to get laughed out of the Rich Guy Club(again)