Los Angeles, home to nearly four million people, has produced plenty of high-level basketball talent in the history of the NBA. Some of those players have even ended up playing for their hometown team with the LA Clippers.
One Los Angeles native currently playing in the league outside the City of Angels is LaMelo Ball. The Chino Hills High School alumni and current Charlotte Hornets star is still young, but he has the ceiling of one of the best point guards in the association.
Of course, plenty of guys around the NBA have interest in returning to their hometowns to play if they ever get the opportunity in their careers. Recently, LaMelo's father, LaVar Ball, explained how he would like that to happen for his son.
Somewhat surprisingly, LaVar confessed that he wants all three of his sons to play for the Clippers. "I want 'em all to play for the Clippers," he said. "Because here's the thing. I don't want to go back to the Lakers for how you did Lonzo. So why would I bring the other two?"
LaVar wants LaMelo to play for the Clippers
This is of course very disappointing to hear for Hornets fans, but Clippers fans have to be thrilled at the prospect of getting LaMelo on their roster. LaVar explained that he would be excited about the prospect of having arguably his most talented son on the Clippers because of Steve Ballmer.
"That's my guy," he said. "I like him, I like his style. That's what I tell him. My last name's Ball, his last name's Ballmer. We're supposed to ball more. He's got a whole new stadium coming up. Come on, trade Melo over there to the Clippers."
We rarely hear a player's family come out with such enthusiasm to have their son traded elsewhere in the NBA, but we also have to remember that we are talking about LaVar Ball, who has a big personality and has expressed similar sentiments in the past. In the event the Clippers ever did pursue a trade for LaMelo, it could end up being the fast track to relevancy in the post-Kawhi Leonard era.
Kawhi is 33 years old and injuries continue to affect his career. When he does decide to call it quits, getting a player like Ball to be LA's new franchise cornerstone would be the closest thing to a best-case scenario possible. His combination of youth, tremendous on-court talent and status as a Southern California native would make him a perfect candidate to lead the Clippers' next generation.